Uncoupling, separation or divorce – whichever way you put it, it is often the saddest, most stressful time in any relationship. And with divorce rates on the rise and almost half of these happening within the first 10 years of marriage, it is something more and more of us have to deal with.

Whilst Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s “conscious uncoupling” splattered all over the media at the moment, the pair have got away to maintain their privacy and allow them some downtime. Gwyneth wrote “…while we love each other very much we will remain separate. We are, however, and always will be a family, and in many ways we are closer than we have ever been.”

Like Gwyneth and Chris, for many couples it is changes in circumstance, lifestyle and interests that cause separation and not necessarily a broken or unloving relationship. However, whatever the cause of separation, the procedures involved to separate a lifestyle that has been led as a couple in two can take its toll. Getting away, relaxing with some downtime before tackling that bureaucratic untangling is not a bad idea at all.

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