There is a world of difference, I could write pages but I won't.
For a start I realised that the workload was no different whatsoever. I'd expected to feel over-burdened but I didn't, I realised I had been a "lone parent" in my marriage for years, I did absolutely everything so I was able to cope on that front easily.
The difference came, as other pp have said, in the calmness of the home. No-one criticising, no-one demanding extra stuff on top of everything else, no treading on eggshells and 'getting things wrong', children weren't shouted at. I never realised how afraid my son was of his father until we parted.
Choice and freedom is lovely. Might be the same housework but we can leave the dishes to another day if we want. Bedtimes at whatever time we want, in fact the whole day can go to a different timetable if we wish.
Freedom to choose how I structure my house, how I decorate my home, how I deal with the children. Freedom to go out when we like, have whichever friends over we like, let the children have sleepovers when we like, eat what we like.
No-one criticises my parents, or complains when they help. No extra mouth to feed, just me and the children who can shop when we want, chill out when we want, make plans and no-one disrupts them.... Children's behaviour calmed down too, can't recommend it highly enough!