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Divorces now proceed on the basis that a marriage has irretievably broken down, so that the parties do not need to rely on the fault of the other party. This is intended to remove any unnecessary upset, reduce conflict, and keep things as amicable as possible during this very difficult time of your life.
We can charge a fixed fee for the divorce and the price varies depending on whether you are the applicant (the person who starts the divorce process) or respondent (the person who replies to the process). We can give you likely estimates on the fees you will incur for financial matters at the outset. We will also keep you updated regularly so that you are aware of the costs incurred throughout your instruction with our firm.
By instructing us, you do not need to worry about communication with your former partner, their legal representative, or the Court. We will deal with all of this on your behalf.
The Divorce will take a minimum of 26 weeks using the online portal application providing your former partner co-operates with responding to the Divorce. If they do not reply to the application for Divorce within the required timescale then it could take longer. In our experience where parties co-operate, and the Court do not have a back log in processing applications then your Divorce could take 7-8 months to finalise.
Where there are linked financial matters to resolve then it is usual to delay the application for finalising the Divorce which is known at the ‘Final Order’ so that a financial agreement can by lodged with the Court before the Divorce is concluded.
There are guidelines set in law that are used to decide what is an appropriate financial settlement considering your individual circumstances. We appreciate no 2 marriages or relationships are the same and are happy to discuss this with you in an initial no obligation free 30 minutes appointment.
The starting point would be to consider how any assets are held, whether there are any dependant children, whether your intentions in respect of the ownership of any property has been recorded and the length of the relationship.
When your relationship breaks down, you are likely to require advice on the division of your assets. You may require advice on the division of matrimonial assets or, if you are unmarried, the assets accumulated during your relationship.
In some cases, you may be entitled to ongoing financial support when your relationship breaks down.
Our specialist staff will give you realistic advice on the approach taken by the Court on the overall terms of a financial settlement. We have members of the Law Society Family Law Advanced scheme specialising in finances on separation.
