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Few people think that their marriage will end when they're making their wedding vows, but the sad reality is that 4 in 5 marriages now end in divorce.

Any break-up is hard to get through and the longer you've been together, the tougher it is no matter how prepared you are. So if you need help, follow our expert guide on what to expect and tips on how to cope.

You can move on after divorce

'How you cope with the breakdown of your relationship depends so much on whether it was you who ended it or your partner,' says Relate counsellor, Denise Knowles

If you ended your relationship: You will have gone through the scenario so many times in your head, made important decisions already about how you will lead your future life, already started to make plans, even. So dealing with the final split will probably be manageable.

If your partner ended it: You will probably be in shock and your emotions will yo-yo from deep despair to anger, anxiety to guilt or relief, even. It will take time to heal. It's perfectly normal to mourn the loss of your partner and go through a grieving process before you can come out at the other end and begin to feel yourself again.

You may be feeling very raw at the moment if you've recently split from your partner, but remember there is life after divorce and thousands of people go on to have fulfilling new lives after splitting up. People recover at different times, some bounce back quicker than others, so take each day as it comes and take baby steps towards recovering.

By Julia Shaw

• Next: How to survive a break-up: One month on

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