The invention relates to a process for producing 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl sulfone, comprising: (I) reacting thionyl chloride, chlorobenzene and aluminum chloride forming an intermediate reaction product and hydrogen chloride; (II) mixing aqueous hydrochloric acid and the intermediate reaction product to obtain an organic phase comprising 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl sulfoxide and an aqueous phase; (III) cooling the organic phase to a temperature below the saturation point of 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl sulfoxide to obtain a suspension; (IV) solid-liquid-separation of the suspension to obtain crystallized 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl sulfoxide, and mother liquor; (V) washing the crystallized 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl sulfoxide with a carboxylic acid to obtain carboxylic acid-wet 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl sulfoxide; (VI) reacting the washed 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl sulfoxide and an oxidizing agent in a carboxylic acid as solvent to obtain a reaction mixture comprising 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl sulfone and carboxylic acid; (VII) separating the reaction mixture comprising 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl sulfone and carboxylic acid into a residual moisture comprising 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl sulfone as crude product and a liquid phase comprising carboxylic acid.