The Separation Companion · Without a Solicitor

Understand the process,

calmly

Plain-English courses for anyone sorting out their own separation in England and Wales. The divorce, the money, the arrangements for the children, and how to reach an agreement without it ever getting near a court. If yours does end up at a hearing, that is covered too, so you are ready either way.

What these are

Plain EnglishNo jargon and no lectures, just what is actually going to happen.
Court or no courtMost people never see a judge. Written for them, and for the ones who do.
The actual formsWalked through question by question, as they stand today.
Yours to keepRead it in your browser on any device, and it remembers where you got to.
Whichever of these is you

You do not have to be going to court for this to be for you

People hear "family court" and picture standing in front of a judge. Most separations never involve anything of the kind. They involve forms, disclosure, difficult conversations about money, and working out what happens with the children.

If you are sorting it out between you

There is still a divorce application to get right, finances to disclose honestly, a decision to make about the house and the pensions, arrangements for the children to settle, and a consent order to make it binding so nobody can reopen it years later. Most of what is in these courses assumes no hearing at all.

If it has ended up at a hearing

Sometimes agreement is not possible, or is not safe. If your situation has reached a court, there are modules on your paperwork and your evidence, on the bundle, and on the day itself: what to bring, where to sit, how to address the judge and what happens afterwards. Far less frightening than you are expecting.

Buying one of these does not mean you are heading for court. It means you would rather understand what you are signing than find out afterwards.

The courses

Take the whole thing, or just the bit you are stuck on

One price per course, and it is yours to come back to whenever you need it. You read it in your browser, on any device, and it saves your place as you go. Every course lets you read a whole module free before you decide, and not module one either.

Or just the part you need

Three short courses, one job each

Buy a short course now, upgrade later. If you start with one of the short courses and afterwards decide you want the full guide, what you have already spent comes off the price. You pay the difference, not twice.
Before you spend anything

Read a whole module, free

Every course opens its first module in full, in the real player, with the contents of the rest alongside it. Judge them by that.

Open a free module
Katherine Waterhouse, founder of The Separation Companion
Who wrote them

Katherine Waterhouse

Separation Support Practitioner and McKenzie Friend, working from Essex and Suffolk and online across England and Wales. She sits alongside people going through separation without a solicitor, and these courses are what she finds herself explaining most often.

They will not turn you into a lawyer, and you do not need to be one. They are here so that you feel clearer, calmer and better organised, and so you know when it is time to get advice.

More about the practice
Questions

Before you start

Which course do I need?

If you know exactly what is in front of you, take the short course for it: the divorce paperwork, the arrangements for the children, or the money. If several of those apply, or you do not yet know what you are dealing with, the full guide covers all of it and works out cheaper than two short courses.

Is this only for people going to court?

No. Most people who separate never stand in front of a judge, and these courses are built on that basis. The modules that do deal with court are written as "if it comes to this", not as an assumption.

How do I get to the course after I have paid?

Access is opened by hand, one person at a time, and you are sent an email invitation to set a password. That is deliberate. It is the reason nobody can help themselves to the course by guessing a web address.

Can I see inside before I pay?

Yes, on every course. A whole module is free, in the real player, along with the complete contents of everything else. There is a free sample here.

What if I buy a short course and then want the full one?

What you have already spent comes off. Buy the divorce course at £99 and the full guide costs you £250 rather than £349. Buy two short courses and the difference is smaller again. You never pay twice for the same material.

Is this legal advice?

No. It is general information about separation, divorce and the family court in England and Wales. It cannot take account of your particular circumstances, and it says clearly where something is complex enough that you should get proper advice.

What if there has been abuse?

Safety comes first throughout, and there are modules on protection, on special measures at court and on keeping your address confidential. If you are in immediate danger, call 999. The National Domestic Abuse Helpline is 0808 2000 247 and runs 24 hours.

Are the forms and fees up to date?

They were checked against the live forms and the current fee tables when each course was written, and each one carries the date it was written. Court forms, fees and procedures change, so always check the current position on GOV.UK before you rely on a figure.

Whenever you are ready

Start where you like

Read a module free, take the one course you need, or take the whole thing. You can always upgrade later without paying twice.

Read a module free See all four courses