A gentle financial checklist for life after divorce

Divorce changes the financial picture in ways that aren't always obvious at first. Some of it is admin. Some of it is bigger — figuring out what you actually want the next chapter to look like, now that the original plan has shifted.

A few things are usually worth doing early, gently, in your own time.

Start with a clear list of what you have and where it sits. Pensions, ISAs, savings, property, any policies — just so you can see it on one page. This sounds basic, but most people are surprised by how scattered it all is, and how much clarity comes from simply gathering it.

Next, look at any pension sharing order or offsetting that came out of the settlement. A pension is a long-term income — what really matters is what it can produce for you over the next twenty or thirty years, not just the headline value today.

Then revisit the obvious bits of admin: beneficiaries on pensions and policies, your will, and any joint accounts or direct debits still on autopilot. These tend to get forgotten in the noise.

Finally — and this is the bit there's no rush on — start thinking forward. What do you want this next chapter to look like? Where would you like to be in five years? Planning post-divorce isn't about a single big decision. It's about taking small, considered steps, in the order that feels right for you.