FAQ'S

We are an expert online divorce service – therefore we have considerably fewer overheads than a high street solicitor – this keeps our costs down to a minimum, allowing us to pass on our savings to our customers.

Yes. All case managers are carefully selected to match your specific circumstances and are dedicated to providing you with expert advice and support throughout the entire process.

Your Case Manager is available Monday to Friday between the hours of 8am and 5.30pm. Additional support is also available until 9pm Monday to Thursday.

The “Clean Break” Consent Order (Usual cost £100) allows you to ensure that, following your divorce; your ex-partner cannot go back to court to ask for more money or assets. Your 100% free Clean Break Order is the only way that you can guarantee that any agreement you and your ex-partner may reach is enforceable by law and that no further claims can be made.

There will always be a risk that either party can claim after the divorce if the court does not make a financial order. So even if you have already divided your assets or have very little assets, it makes sense to have the insurance that there can be no further claims in the future.

Your order is drafted using the latest court approved precedents by our experienced legal drafting team.

We do all the legal drafting and filing for you so all you have to do is sign the documents when we send them to you. We deal with the court on your behalf throughout to ensure you receive a first class service.

The normal divorce takes between 3 and 4 months. For what is involved have a look at "about divorce" section on this web site or click here to see the process at a glance.

The Court Fees are £593.

We will let you know the location of your closest Divorce Centre.

You cannot start a petition for divorce unless you have been married for more than one year.

Since 1968 there has been just one ground for divorce – irretrievable breakdown of marriage. However, you have to prove irretrievable breakdown in one of five different ways. These are: adultery, unreasonable behaviour (often described as cruelty), desertion for two years, separation for two years where the other party consents, and separation for five years (no consent needed).

6 weeks, one day after this you may apply for the Decree Absolute.

No, you would need the other parties consent; alternatively you could rely on the fact of unreasonable behaviour or 5 years Separation whereby consent is not required.

Attempt to find out from family & friends. Alternatively, a tracing agent may be able to trace the party’s whereabouts.

You would need to request the court to allow the court bailiff to personally serve the divorce documents on the respondent. The court bailiff would then sign a statement confirming service, should the respondent still not respond you proceed to the next stage, the application for special procedure whereby you would use the signed statement as an exhibit. You will have to pay the court a fixed fee for this service.

After service you must allow 21 days for the respondent to file a defence (called an ‘answer’ in divorce proceedings) and, if they do not, you can then apply for the decree NISI (the first divorce decree).

We can provide you with a ‘Request for Service by Court Bailiff’ form.

Yes, providing 3 months have elapsed and the parties have not reconciled.

You can contact the relevant registry office providing them with the party’s names and date of marriage. They will provide you with the original marriage certificate for a small fee (we can obtain this for you as part of our service).

In this case the marriage certificate needs to be translated into English by an expert who would then have it sworn. You then need to lodge with the court alongside other documents the original marriage certificate, the translation of the marriage certificate and the experts sworn statement.

You may be exempt: you would need to complete the fee exemption form which we would provide. The Divorce Centre staff will make an assessment as to whether you qualify.

Yes, provided one party is either domiciled or habitually resident (for a year) in England and Wales.

No, you do not – but it is a good idea to do so. If you ignore the financial issues and remarry, you may lose the right to have the matrimonial financial affairs reviewed by the court. Many people do not realise that your ex. can make a claim against your estate after you die. There are special rules, and a claim will not succeed in every case, but it is wise to get an agreement on finances and if appropriate obtain a 'clean break' order (see our divorce and money section).

Any disputes or arrangements regarding children are entirely separate from the divorce proceedings, and will have no baring on an uncontested divorce.

No, but if the marriage certificate is in another language then you need to obtain a notarised translation.

No, provided either of you are habitually resident in England and Wales.

There are complicated rules and if you are unsure please e-mail us.

No, provided the other is habitually resident here.

Afraid not, in this circumstance you will have to ask your spouse to divorce you.

Unfortunately not. In order to successfully file for a divorce on the grounds of adultery, then the adultery must be the reason for you and your spouse having separated.

Yes, provided that whilst living in the same house you have lived completely separate lives. This means that you have slept in separate bedrooms, done your own domestic chores, cook, eat and socialise separately and bills should be divided.

No, your spouse will be given an opportunity to consent on the acknowledgement form when he/she receives the papers from the court.

Currently, 99.97% of all divorce petitions are returned the same day they are completed. We aim to dispatch your divorce petition the same day, if submitted before 5.30pm Monday to Friday, and guarantee to dispatch your completed divorce petition within 24 hours of submission.