Reader Call-Out: Tell Us What You Learned From Your Divorce

"Friendly divorce" may be all the rage, but the truth is, no matter how consciously you try to uncouple, breaking up a marriage can be painfully complicated. Finances, kids, lawyers, guilt, in-laws, mutual friends, divvied-up belongings — not to mention the often scary, always strange new world of mobile dating (you want me to swipe where?). One thing, though, is for sure: With almost half of Canadian marriages ending in divorce, none of us are alone in this.

To help more people navigate this tricky terrain, we're asking those who have been through it to share their stories for a series we're launching called Splitsville. We are looking for first-person stories, between 500-700 words, about some specific and unique aspect of your divorce experience: When did you know it was time? How did you talk to your kids? How did you know you were ready to "get back out there" (or to take up needlepoint instead)? What did you lose, and what did you gain? Looking back, what do you wish you'd known about going through it?

If you're interested in sharing your experience, please send a submission to letters@chatelaine.rogers.com with "Splitsville" in the subject line. If we decide to publish your story, an editor will be in touch to discuss the fee and other details. Don't worry if you're not a professional writer — we can help with that! Thanks for helping us get an important conversation going.