A Chartered Financial Planner says about half of her clients in the last five years have come to her seeking help with divorce – inspiring her to pen a book to help them get through the 'frightening' process.

Jo Read, who has written Suddenly Single, found herself going through divorce part of the way through penning the book. She expects the proportion of her clients in this bracket to increase further over the next year.

Ms Read, a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute, hopes fellow Financial Planners may find it a useful guide themselves.

Ms Read, director of Langley Park Wealth, an associate partner of St James' Place, told Financial Planning Today: “The book is designed for ‘Suddenly Singles’, but I actually started writing it before I became suddenly single, from the fact that so many women were coming to me having found themselves on their own and never having understood or managed their wealth."

She said: "I was writing it for women, but also for other financial planners, it gives a great insight into what Suddenly Singles are going through, the issues they face, and how they approach their new life, and what support they are looking for, sometimes without even knowing about it. So it can also be used as a guide for others.”

She advised other planners that women in these circumstances are looking for some emotional support as well as financial, and that they “should be prepared to deal with a lot of emotion”.

Ms Read said: “I know what it's like when you are in the middle of it, how confusing, frightening and uncertain your life is, and when you are at the end of the process and you are looking forward to the future how amazing you feel. I love seeing that transformation in my clients.”

She said: “Of course it helps when you have been through that situation yourself, you know first hand what clients are experiencing. It helps you to understand, recognise what they are going through, and also to advise, for example, when they aren't ready to make certain decisions, as they're making them with their heart, and not their head. But that doesn't mean that other planners can't help.”

Ms Read added: “I created Suddenly Single to demonstrate that Suddenly Singles don't have to be on their own. That their situation isn't unique, there are hundreds and thousands of women who all find themselves in this position, and there is a way through it.”