Looking after your mental health during separation

Family/Divorce Article

09 January, 2023

Tara Quinn

Chartered Legal Executive

Whether you are splitting up for the first time, or the last time, separating from your partner is always stressful and upsetting.

It's easy to spiral into worry about the future when everything is changing. You don't know exactly what is going to happen next and you feel like your life is now spiralling out of control. You're probably wondering:

Where will I live? Who will the children live with? When will the children spend time with me? What is going to happen to the house? Will it be sold? Can I afford to live alone? Is my partner entitled to my assets? Am I entitled to any of my partners assets? What about our joint assets? Who gets to keep the pet? How much is this going to cost? Etc

There is not one person who does not have these worries when they separate from their partner, and it is completely normal to feel anxiety about the future. At Forbes Solicitors, we encourage our clients to take care of their own mental health when separating, no matter what the individual circumstances may be and whether you are someone who has a diagnosed medical condition, or someone who just needs a bit of extra support. When you are ready, know that there are always steps that can be taken to move forward and we can help with that.

The role of the family lawyer is to provide legal advice in relation to a plethora of family-related issues. We support many vulnerable people who find themselves at a crossroads in their life and are not sure what the next step is. We give objective, practical, and expert legal advice in relation to each client's specific circumstances, whether that is needing to issue court proceedings immediately or quite simply, a half hour appointment for a bit of advice to point you in the right direction.

There is no right or wrong way to seek legal advice but talking to a family lawyer will help you understand your legal rights and what is available to you.

Most importantly, your mental health should not be ignored at this time in your life, and it is more common for people to suffer from depression and anxiety after a break-up. You should seek support from your family and friends, give yourself time, and seek legal advice if you need it.

Children's mental health

It is likely you will also be concerned for your children's mental health and how the separation will affect them. To make the process as smooth as possible for them, our advice is to avoid the following behaviours:

having arguments in front of the children
keeping a child in an abusive relationship
belittling the other parent to the children
limiting contact between the other parent
ignoring the child's emotions.

How can you help children through a divorce?

It is important to be honest with your children, try and provide a stable environment, make it easy for them to keep in contact with their other parent, encourage them to ask questions, listen to their emotions and provide reassurance, minimise change and stick to routines.

How can Forbes Solicitors help you?

At Forbes Solicitors, we understand the struggle of mental health and how life changing separation can be for our clients. We provide a legal service focused upon looking after all our client's needs.

If you have separated from your partner and need some legal guidance about any issue relating to separation, whether you are married, cohabiting or have been separated for quite some time, then please get in touch on the details below or complete our online enquiry form.

Look after yourself and your mental health.

For more information or support with your mental health there are a number of mental health organisations to reach out to:

For more information contact Tara Quinn in our Family/Divorce department via email or phone on 01254 580 000. Alternatively send any question through to Forbes Solicitors via our online Contact Form.

Learn more about our Family/Divorce department here

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