St Brides House
32 High Street
Beckenham
Kent
BR3 1AY
020 8658 3922

  ..LINKS

Divorce Leaflet
For further information
      on Divorce Recovery                  Support
Separation
Financial Provision in        Divorce
Pre-Marital Agreements
Cohabitation Disputes
Children
Child Abduction
Division of Assets
Domestic Violence &        Injunctions
Civil Partnerships
Collaborative Law
FAQ's
S.E. London Family        Mediation Bureau
Click here to download the
       free Acrobat reader


Divorce

Sally Hartwell - Partner

Direct Dial: 020 8662 6217

To obtain a divorce in England & Wales you must be married for more than 1 year and prove that the marriage has irretrievably broken down by relying on one of five facts in the divorce petition:

Adultery

Unreasonable Behaviour

2 years separation with consent

5 years separation

Desertion in excess of 2 years

The divorce procedure is started by a divorce petition. If there are children, a Statement of Arrangements for Children form must be filed in either a Divorce County Court or the Principal Registry in London and sent to the Court along with the divorce petition. Any disputes concerning the arrangements for the children will delay the divorce proceedings as these must be resolved first. Your marriage certificate must also be sent to the Court and will not be returned to you. This is replaced by the Decree Absolute at the end of the proceedings.

Once issued the divorce documentation is served on the other party and that party is asked to complete an Acknowledgment of Service form. If the proceedings are not defended you can proceed to the next stage which is to file an affidavit with the Court confirming the contents of the Petition and the Statement of Arrangements form, if applicable. At this stage the application for the decree nisi is made. This is the penultimate decree. Six weeks later you can apply to the Court for the final decree, the Decree Absolute, although you should not do so without first seeking advice as to the implications. Once that is granted you are divorced.

If there are no complications the procedure should take around 4-6 months from start to finish. The proceedings will take longer however if there are any disputes concerning the children or finances or there are problems with service. For a detailed guide of the divorce procedure please click on the link on the right hand side of the page.

At PJH we have an experienced team of family law specialists who can assist with your divorce whether your matter is relatively straightforward or complex. We are friendly and approachable but professional and efficient at the same time. Years of experience mean that we will be able to identify the right solution to meet your needs from the outset so that your time and money are not wasted.

Please contact Sally Hartwell on 020 8662 6217 or email the enquiry form and let us help you.