Divorce, once rare and stigmatised, has become mainstream – 42 per cent of marriages now end this way, meaning nearly half of us who get married can expect to experience it in our lifetime. Just as every marriage is different, so is every divorce. In this column, divorcees reflect on their life-changing experience. Helped by the benefit of hindsight, they’ll share advice and reflections.
Research suggests 11 per cent of couples getting divorced try “bird-nesting”, a rotating schedule which sees the children stay in the family home while the parents move in and out on a rota. Kathleen*, 46, has spent the last two years nesting with her ex-husband Ben, 52. On the eve of owning her own home, she explains the toll it’s taken but why she wouldn’t change a thing.
Putting my ex-husband’s empty Stella Artois cans into the recycling on a Monday morning, the neighbours and refuse workers probably thought we were still a couple. The reality is, Ben and I split up in December 2023 – our divorce finalising in November 2025 – yet we’re only just moving on. We’ve spent the last two and a half years “nesting”, an arrangement which has meant the kids have stayed in their beloved bedrooms while we’ve moved out fortnightly.
