Although a radicle change in the law ‘no fault divorce’ seems to have slipped under most people’s radar.
No fault divorce means that the applicant is no longer required to allege bad behaviour or adultery against the other party. Now, there is only one ground for divorce – namely that the marriage has irretrievably broken down. Either party can apply, or they can apply jointly, it doesn’t make a difference.
Applications for divorce online should be made at the government website https://www.gov.uk/divorce/file- for-divorce and not through one of the many agencies that charge for the service.
The online form is straightforward so there is no need to waste money on lawyers. A court fee of £595 is payable and it is necessary to upload a copy of the marriage certificate. Also, the terms ‘decree nisi’ and ‘decree absolute’ have been replaced with more modern language ‘conditional order’ and ‘final order’.
However, it should be noted that whilst applying for divorce is straightforward, resolving the finances and any issues regarding children remain as difficult as ever.
It is therefore so easy for the unwary to waste money when they involve lawyers with those aspects. That is why people consult us.
We are a team of 5 experienced lawyers but, what makes us different to a firm of solicitors, is that we are acting as divorce consultants. We help people navigate the legal maze and stop them making expensive mistakes. We use our experience of the divorce process to find solutions to lower the temperature and save money.
If you know someone who may benefit from speaking to us, please do contact me. We don’t charge for an initial consultation.