Divorce

The divorce or dissolution process can be overwhelming, especially when addressing issues like selling the family home or child custody arrangements. Our solicitors aim to alleviate as much stress as possible, offering competitive fixed-fee services and personalized advice to achieve the best possible outcome for you.

Here's how our service works:

• Comprehensive advice on the divorce or dissolution process, including finances and children
• Handling all administrative tasks for your application, ensuring all documents are correctly completed
• Assisting with related matters like finances, child arrangements, and maintenance agreements
• Providing transparent fixed-fee options for most cases

The first step in a divorce or civil partnership dissolution is to file a petition or application at court, typically done online but also available in paper form. Under new rules effective April 2022, you can submit a joint or sole application.

Once the court issues your divorce, if you made a sole application, your spouse must respond within 14 days. After 20 weeks, you can apply for a Conditional Order, confirming no barriers to your divorce. Six weeks later, you can apply for the Final Order, legally ending your marriage or civil partnership.

Our solicitors can assist with all steps, from applying for the Conditional and Final Orders to handling non-responsive former spouses.

It’s essential to agree on financial arrangements alongside your divorce or dissolution. Whether through voluntary agreements, ADR, or court applications, our solicitors can help you reach a favorable settlement. We can assist with:

• Deciding the future of the family home
• Managing bills and debts
• Dividing assets like savings and investments
• Distributing belongings such as cars and pets
• Handling family businesses and pensions
• Arranging spousal maintenance payments

Making arrangements for children can be the most contentious issue during a relationship breakdown. Our goal is to ensure a smooth transition and to minimise conflict, helping your children feel heard and secure. We assist with:

• Determining primary residence
• Setting visitation schedules with parents and relatives
• Making key decisions about upbringing, education, and travel
• Arranging child maintenance payments

For more information, visit our arrangements for children page.

A divorce or dissolution takes a minimum of 26 weeks (6 months) under the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020. This includes a 20-week wait between the initial application and the Conditional Order, plus a 6-week wait before the Final Order.

Resolving finances or child arrangements can vary in time, typically faster if agreed voluntarily.

No-fault divorce allows individuals or couples to end their marriage or civil partnership without assigning blame. Introduced by the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020, it simplifies the process and eliminates most contestation possibilities.

The only ground for divorce or dissolution is the irretrievable breakdown of the relationship, proven by a ‘statement of irretrievable breakdown’ included in your application. Additional requirements include being married or in a civil partnership for at least one year.

We believe that legal costs shouldn’t add to your stress during a relationship breakdown. We offer fixed-fee services for most clients, providing certainty over costs and allowing you to make informed decisions about your future. We also offer hourly rates for more complex cases.

For detailed pricing information, visit our Family Law Pricing page.

Our experienced solicitors have helped countless individuals and families navigate difficult relationship breakdowns. We are members of the Law Society Family Law and Family Law Advanced Accreditation schemes, recognised for our expertise and high-quality service. Our team includes accredited specialists, ensuring top-tier advice and support.

We are also members of Resolution, promoting constructive and cooperative resolutions over costly court proceedings.

Costs depend on the complexity of your case, but we offer fixed-fee services for most divorces and civil partnership dissolutions so you have certainty over the price from the outset, with hourly rates available for more complex matters. Financial settlements and child arrangements may involve additional fees, which we will always make clear in advance. See our Family Law Pricing page for details.

You can apply for the divorce itself without a solicitor, but legal advice is strongly recommended where there are finances, property, pensions, a business or children to resolve. A financial settlement in particular needs to be handled correctly and made into a legally binding court order, which is where a solicitor protects your interests.