Bestselling novelist and national newspaper columnist Allison Pearson this week revealed how she had “finally felt rotten enough to seek professional help” for her depression, describing herself as typical “Sandwich Woman” because she has found herself in the middle of two generations.   more »

After a furious row with their spouse or lover, many people’s instinct is to jump into the car and flee. But a new survey says driving after a heated argument with a partner has been responsible for nearly 2.5 million accidents. One in 12 drivers in relationships admitted crashing following a tiff, with one in three saying they have seen red and taken off in the car following a row.   more »

A new survey reveals that for a majority of divorcees – six in ten – the hardest thing to come to terms with is the sense of failure. The study, carried out by dating website www.fifties.com, which is aimed at the over-50s, found that the emotional impact of divorce is so great a fifth of those questioned said they would never truly get over it.   more »

The comedians Lenny Henry and Dawn French announced this week they were splitting up after 25 years of marriage. What struck me about this latest celebrity uncoupling was that were together for such a long time (a relative rarity in showbiz circles) and the fact that they made the decision to part six months ago but continued living together “in constant, open and honest discussion”.   more »

Cheating on one’s partner is considered one of the most heinous marital crimes, yet many cuckolded spouses decide to remain with their errant other half. There are several reasons for this – but probably the most common is to keep the family together for the sake of the children.   more »

This week, the singer Cheryl Cole was photographed looking even more slender than usual. “Making one of her first public appearances since her split from cheating husband Ashley, Cheryl Cole could not hide the fact she looks worrying thin,” commented one newspaper.   more »

What a week it’s been for the crumbling of “nice guy” celebrity marriages. First we heard the news that popular cheeky-chappy Mark Owen from boy band Take That had cheated on his long-term partner, now wife, with no fewer than ten women; then we learned the personable, down-to-earth Kate Winslet had split up from her second husband, Sam Mendes.   more »

A friend of a friend, who’s a single parent, has just taken the plunge and, for the first time since her husband died three-and-a-half years ago, booked a summer holiday abroad for her and her two young children. It was a brave step, not least because she was worried about being the only single mum on the beach, surrounded by happy families.   more »

Ashley Cole may be a fine footballer, but he wouldn’t win any medals for his ability to concoct plausible explanations for his licentious behaviour. When it was revealed a model had been sent naked photographs of the Chelsea and England player from his mobile phone, Cole said he had given the phone to a friend, who had passed it on to someone else. In other words, “It wasn’t me, Guv”!   more »

One of the things I encounter fairly regularly in my job is one half of a couple – usually the woman – contemplating a new career in counselling. This is particularly common among wives who have devoted much of their adult lives to bringing up a family and, once the family has flown the nest, need something “meaningful” to fill the emotional void.   more »

When a marriage falls apart, it is a depressing time. Many of the people who walk into our offices are feeling at their lowest ebb. They are frightened, anxious, lonely and emotionally battered.   more »

The recession has played havoc with people’s lives, not least those whose relationships have broken down. Countless couples who would otherwise have gone their separate ways have stayed together because they felt they couldn’t afford to divorce. Some couples have parted emotionally, but have continued to live under the same roof for because they’ve been unable to sell the marital home.   more »

I am friends with a couple who have been married for 40 years. Some time ago I asked them: “What’s your secret?” The husband’s prompt response was: “Inertia!”   more »

At Christmas, did you feel you had to go through the “isn’t it fantastic?” routine for the sake of the children, even if what you actually felt like doing was hiding under the duvet for a couple of weeks?   more »

When clients who are going through a divorce voice their fears about how they will cope with “singledom”, I am able to give some reassurance. For I am single and I lead a very active and fulfilling social life.   more »

I feel terribly happy most of the time: I love life. But my contentment has been hard-won. My marriage to a Spanish footballer broke down following the death of our young daughter.   more »

This morning I received a letter from someone I’d recently advised, thanking me for my help and saying she was now talking to husband about how they rebuild their relationship.   more »

When I went through a divorce, nearly 20 years ago, I was pretty blasé about it. Give me three months, I remember saying to my brother, and I’ll be fine. I’ve never forgotten his response: “Yes, it will be three,” he said, “but years, not months.”   more »

Our firm, Benussi & Co, was founded 16 years ago – yet we can call upon 150 years of experience. Between us – that’s 25 partners and staff – we have been guiding people through the divorce process for a century and a half!   more »

The secret of a happy marriage, according to scientists, is for a wife to be smarter and at least five years younger than her husband.   more »

The “seven-year itch”, made famous by the 1955 film of the same name, is a phenomenon based on the assumption that marital dissatisfaction kicks in after seven years – and the temptation to be unfaithful becomes irresistible.   more »

According to a survey published this week, being married is more important than education or having a mortgage to service in helping the unemployed get back to work. The research found that married men are 33 per cent more likely to find a job after being made redundant than those who are single or divorced.   more »

This week, Kevin McGee, the former civil partner of actor and comedian Matt Lucas, was found dead in his flat after apparently hanging himself. He was 32.   more »

Facebook has become the new Friends Reunited. Just as the website designed to bring together old school friends reignited thousands of playground romances – and broke up countless marriages as a result – so “second generation” social networking sites such as Facebook are also being used to track down lost loves.   more »

One of the country’s most senior family lawyers, Baroness Deech, has criticised court awards to ex-wives of half a couple’s wealth. She says settlements that keep women in comfort at the expense of their former husbands should be scrapped – on the basis they are unfair to men and demeaning to women.   more »

A sleep expert claims the secret to a long and happy marriage could be having separate beds. He might also have added that one of the best things about getting divorced is having the bed to yourself!   more »

She is known as “The Queen of Mean” thanks to her acerbic presentation style on The Weakest Link. Yet even someone as tough and resilient as Anne Robinson found divorce to be an extremely painful process.   more »

John Cleese’s divorce from wife number three, Alyce Faye Eichelberger, has reportedly culminated in the actor and comedian being forced to hand over nearly £12.5 million of his fortune. The payout is expected to reduce the 69-year-old’s overall wealth to about £10 million and may mean that she is worth more than he is.   more »

Pictures of Samantha Burke showing off her baby bump have appeared on the internet. The part-time model, who is seven months’ pregnant, looks happy and excited. As well she might do. For the 24-year-old American is believed to be demanding nearly £90,000 a year from the baby’s father, British actor Jude Law - £6,000-a-month child maintenance and £1,200 a month for rent and bills.   more »

Divorce severely damages people’s long-term health, even if they remarry, according to new research. The impact of marriage breakdown or the death of a spouse continues to have a “lingering, detrimental” effect on physical wellbeing because it affects the body’s immune system, says a study carried out at the University of Chicago and John Hopkins University, Baltimore. This is despite the fact someone may have moved on emotionally and found happiness in another relationship.   more »