When children leave home it can be a test to the strength of a relationship. Cracks that have been papered over for some time started to take on more prominence because you no longer have the distraction of parenthood to keep the relationship going. Your home once filled with noise and the hustle and bustle of family life suddenly becomes very still when it’s just the two of you rattling around.
The departure of children often means that you have more time in your life to fill. You are suddenly faced with decisions about how to replace time that was otherwise filled with being a parent. You may realise that you no longer have the same interests in common and you are spending more time apart than together.
An empty nest doesn’t have to mark the end of a relationship. It could be an opportunity to reconnect, to rediscover shared interests or to plan the pursuit of new ones.
However for relationships that have passed the point of no return, if you are worried about the future and you are unclear about what you are legally entitled to in the event of separation, a meeting with an experienced solicitor might be just what you need so that you can go into a conversation with your partner armed with the information that you need to make the right choices.
