A process for preparing an ethylene polymer in a suspension polymerization including the steps of separating the formed suspension of ethylene polymer particles in a solid-liquid separator into ethylene polymer particles and mother liquor, transferring a first part of the mother liquor into a work-up section including an evaporation unit for producing a wax-depleted portion of the mother liquor, wherein a protic agent is added to the part of the mother liquor which is transferred into the work-up section, and recycling a first part of the wax-depleted portion of the mother liquor to the polymerization reactor or the series of polymerization reactors.