The liminal space of divorce can be an extremely unsettling time to navigate. It is not uncommon to feel disoriented, as if you’re moving underwater, or the whole world has shifted diagonally and no one else seems to have noticed.
Brain fogs are common, as everything that once was certain falls away, and the juxtaposition between what was and what will be becomes jarring. What’s the best way to make it through these months or years? I’m hoping these 17 divorce stories will help.

What follows are all of my in-depth articles about the many facets of life before (“Should I get a divorce?”), during, and after my 10-year marriage. My relationship has now entered the chapter of divorce and living apart, collaboratively co-parenting our two young children.
Every article here is meant to be both honest, and good-spirited. You will not find negative words about my co-parent in these stores — but you WILL find incredibly practical guides to logistics, divorce finances and time management, self-care, books, and supporting kids and family cooperation. Here’s to a healthy and happy future!
Divorce Stories
Here are all of my articles and stories about divorce, with the emotions, logistics, advice, and tips attached to a marriage separation that includes a family with kids.
What to Say About a Divorce
What should you say when a friend or someone you know is going through a divorce or separation? Here's a clear and helpful list of what NOT to utter, and what to say instead in order to be supportive.
How to Tell Kids About Divorce
This script template for telling kids about a divorce was created in partnership with our couples therapist, and was extremely effective in supporting our children in transitioning to this next chapter as a collaborative family in two homes.
To Get a Divorce or Stay Married? How to Decide
The most common private message I've gotten since starting to write publicly about my divorce is readers asking, "Should I get a divorce?" While each relationship is completely different, and only you can make the best choice for YOU, here are 10 methods that help bring clarity in this major life decision.
Co-Parenting Tips
Here are the most useful and actionable 10 tips that our couples therapist gave us for how to support our children as co-parents after marriage separation. The list begins with the obvious, but then becomes quite surprising!
What is the Divorce Process?
Ever wonder why divorce usually takes at least a year? Curious what divorce court hearings are like? Here is a detailed and honest account of my entire divorce process, over the course of fourteen months -- culminating in Zoom court. Many tips are embedded throughout this article to help others make the process as smooth and efficient as possible.
A Credit Card Warning About Marriage and Divorce
We know that divorce is extremely expensive, but did you know there is a very frustrating thing that can happen with your credit cards if you're not careful? Follow this easy tip to avid the mistake that led to me being denied my own account. This lesson is relevant for all married couples, no matter how stable the relationship.
Divorce Books
Here is the list of all the recommended books I read during the marriage separation journey that helped ease the divorce process and support our kids in this family transition.
Divorce Time and Money
How long does divorce take, and how much does it cost? Learn the details of each here.
How to Start Simple Daily Meditation
An essential practice which helped me through the divorce process was meditating daily for just 5-10 minutes with this app. Learn how to start the healthy habit here.
How to Stop Drinking Alcohol
Quitting drinking alcohol was intrumental in being able to clearly see the best path forward for my life at last. Stopping drinking may or may not be of interest to you, but if it is, here are detailed (and sometimes surprising) instructions for how the feat was achievable -- plus honest reflections on why it was so hard.
Why No Name Change After Marriage?
I cannot express enough how thankful I am that I never changed my name after marriage. Here are some reasons why I made that choice to keep my last name.
How to Exercise More
Along with meditation, healthy eating, and kind friends and family, regular exercise helped me immensely through the emotions of going through a divorce. Here is my long tutorial about how to make workout plans and motivation stick.
Going on Leave from Teaching After 18 Years
Transitioning out of a job that one has had for many years bears some similarities to divorce or separation from a relationship. The fact that I transitioned out of both my career and marriage at the same time was at the same time jarring and healing. Read the reasons for the former here, and reflect on how it resonates with the latter.
11 Things That Actually Work to Live Better
This list of 11 resolutions that actually work to have a better life dive into elements such as therapy, art, and ruthless self-care.
Understanding Liminal Spaces
A liminal space is that in-between time when you've left one thing and are not yet at the next. Divorce is the epitome of liminality! Reading this article will help you understand the power of these transitional times, as well as their sometimes unsettling nature.
How to Do a "Momcation" for Solo Travel
Solo travel can be immensely revitalizing, and may prove a key way to metabolize the changes happening during a separation or divorce. But how is it possible for a mother to travel alone when she has kids -- and how can it be done affordably? This article goes in depth to answer each of those questions.
Trying Solo Travel with One Kid
If you have multiple kids, it can be a powerful experience, while in the process of deciding whether to separate or in the thick of divorcing, to take a short trip with just you and one of your children. Here are some tips on particularly good ages and structures for this.
Divorce Stories, in Sum
I hope you’ve found these articles helpful! Which of these divorce stories here most resonates with you? The ones closest to my heart are “What to Say to Someone Going Through Divorce,” (see the printable PDF here) and “How to Tell Kids About Divorce,” because they are the articles I wish someone had sent me when I was first starting my separation.
What topics would you like added, as I continue to write about this intense transitional experience? Do share!

The author, Lillie Marshall, is a 6-foot-tall National Board Certified Teacher of English, fitness fan, and mother of two who has been a public school educator since 2003. She launched Around the World “L” Travel and Life Blog in 2009, and over 4.2 million readers have now visited this site. Lillie also runs TeachingTraveling.com and DrawingsOf.com. Subscribe to her monthly newsletter, and follow @WorldLillie on social media!