A splitting headache is a term used to describe the stress and emotional turmoil associated with DIVORCE. DIVORCE is a legal process in which a married couple is legally separated, and the seven-letter word for this is 'DIVORCE'. ALIMONY is a payment made by one spouse to the other after a DIVORCE, and this is also a seven-letter word. Palimony is a similar payment made to an unmarried partner, and this is an eight-letter word. Finally, a custody battle is a dispute between two parents over the care of their children, and this is a thirteen-letter word.