These days, you can find cheap ways to get a divorce online. But it's worth knowing that such services usually just sort out the paperwork. They don't give advice, leaving you to make big decisions on your own, which can be tough.

Ending a marriage isn't straightforward, especially if children, a home, shared money, or pensions are involved. Even if both sides agree on the divorce, sorting out such additional issues is not always easy.

Our family law team have decades of experience in divorces, separations and end of relationships. They've helped resolve even the toughest divorces. They can help you think about what you'll need in the future and make sure you get a fair deal.

We offer a free 30-minute consultation before we take on any legal work, if you give us a call we will be honest with you about your circumstances and if we think you will need a solicitor. You can book a free thirty-minute consultation appointment by calling 0800 138 0458 or using the form below , and our solicitors will get in touch.

If children are involved in your divorce, figuring out their care arrangements can be stressful. Our divorce solicitors can help resolves these disputes. We'll aim to find the best solution possible. If we have to go to court, we can represent you there too.

For more information, you can visit our child custody arrangements page.

Every divorce is different, so the end results can vary.

Sorting out money usually happens while the divorce is going on. You can work this out through talks with your ex-spouse or with help from your lawyers. We suggest putting any arrangements into a legal document, approved by the court, called a consent order. If you can't agree, discuss with your lawyer about seeking further assistance from the court to reach decisions.

The time it takes to get divorced can also vary. If both you and your spouse agree on everything, it could be done in as little as six months. But if there are disagreements or complications, it could take longer. At our first meeting, we can give you a rough idea of how long it might take.

Every divorce is different, so the cost will depend on your situation. Getting the right advice from a divorce solicitor can save you money and stress later on, so it's important to get it right. We understand that you may be worried about money, so we offer set prices for some divorce services.

We offer a free initial meeting, where we’ll let you know the costs involved from the start. To find out how much your divorce might cost, just give us a call to set up a free consultation.

In order to be eligible to end a marriage or civil partnership, you must have been married or in the partnership for at least 12 months or more. If you have not been in the marriage for that long, you may be able to apply for a judicial separation or wait the twelve months.

A divorce application marks the start of your divorce. There are two ways of applying for a divorce. You can either make a sole application (by yourself), or as joint applicants (you and your ex-partner). For more advice on the process of a divorce, speak to one of our specialist divorce solicitors.

If you submit an application, there will be very little that can stop the proceedings from continuing.

If your partner finds it hard to accept, they may be able to dispute proceedings. However, the reasonings are very limited and are generally based on whether the marriage was valid and celebrated through the correct procedure.

If at any stage you feel under threat or in danger, you should call 999.

However, our specialist family team are here to support and protect you. There are orders which can prohibit certain behaviours which can be put in place for your safeguarding. Our team of highly trained domestic violence solicitors act quickly to get you the support you need.

In England and Wales, there is no automatic distinction in what a wife or husband is entitled to in a divorce. The law treats both parties equally, regardless of gender. Entitlements are based on need, fairness and the individual circumstances of the case, rather than on traditional roles or who initiated the divorce.

The court makes a decision about a financial settlement on a case-by-case basis by assessing what each partner would need, and the resources they have, to move forward with financial stability.

Financial matters on divorce are governed by the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, which gives the court wide discretion to decide how a divorce financial settlement should be made and the assets it should involve. The court can make orders relating to:

• Division of property and other assets
• Spousal maintenance
• Pensions
• Lump-sum payments
• Child maintenance (in some cases)

Typically, the court aims for a clean break, which means that all financial ties are severed once assets are divided and any lump sums are paid. However, this is not always possible, especially if one party requires ongoing support, and the court can order spousal maintenance to be paid for a set period or more rarely on a joint lives basis. This may be relevant to spouses who worked in the household during their marriage or civil partnership, but a wife is not automatically entitled to anything different than a husband in these cases, nor are there differences between the partners in a same sex marriage or civil partnership.

There is no fixed formula to how a fair settlement is calculated, as the court’s primary aim is to achieve a fair outcome based on the individual needs of the parties involved. Several important factors are considered by the court when drawing up a financial settlement:

• The needs and welfare of any children under the age of 18.
• The current and potential income, earning capacity, property and other financial resources each party has or is likely to have. This can include savings, property, pensions, investments and other assets belonging to only one party.
• Each party’s financial needs, obligations and responsibilities.
• The standard of living enjoyed during the marriage.
• The duration of the marriage and the age of each party - longer marriages often see a more equal division of assets.
• Contributions made by each party (financial and non-financial, such as caring for children or running the home).
• Any physical or mental disability or other health needs that may affect one party's earning potential.
• The conduct of either party (in extreme cases).
• The value of any benefit, such as pensions, which may be lost due to the divorce.

The starting point is an equal division of marital assets (such as the family home, pensions and savings), especially for long marriages. However, needs-based outcomes may lead to an unequal split, particularly where one party requires more for housing or child care. Spousal maintenance (a series of regular payments from one spouse to the other) may be awarded where one spouse has a lower income or limited earning capacity, and the other can afford to pay. These usually specify a limited time period for the financial support, so that the payments only last until the receiving party becomes financially independent.

It is important to work with expert divorce solicitors during this process, as they can make sure that your specific needs are taken into account and help you to secure a fair settlement during the divorce process.

Since the introduction of no-fault divorces under the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020, there is no longer a need to prove specific grounds to secure a divorce in England and Wales. The only requirement is that the applicant states the marriage has irretrievably broken down. This statement alone is taken as conclusive evidence, and the court does not investigate the reasons behind the breakdown. Joint or sole applications can be made, and the process is intended to reduce conflict and simplify proceedings.

This is an important change, as it was previously only possible to prove that a marriage had irretrievably broken down based on one or more of five specific grounds. These grounds often led to blame-based petitions, especially when couples wanted to divorce without waiting the required separation periods, and sometimes caused increased conflict. Under the current legal framework, however, you now only need to state that the relationship has irretrievably broken down, and you can make a sole application for divorce if the other party does not agree to the arrangement.

Under the current no-fault divorce system in England and Wales, a divorce takes a minimum of six months from start to finish, assuming both parties cooperate and there are no delays. Divorces where financial settlements or child arrangements are contested may take significantly longer, although the right legal advice can help you to keep things on track. An experienced divorce lawyer can discuss your circumstances at the start of the legal process and advise you of what to expect, but there are some time limits that apply in all cases and which cannot be avoided or sped up.

Once a divorce petition is issued, a 20-week ‘cooling-off’ period begins. This is a mandatory waiting period that is designed to give both parties time to reflect or make arrangements, especially regarding children or finances. After 20 weeks, the applicant (or both applicants, in joint cases) can apply for the Conditional Order (previously called the Decree Nisi). This is a confirmation from the court that it sees no reason why the divorce cannot proceed.

After the Conditional Order is granted, there is a further mandatory waiting period of six weeks before you can apply for a Final Order (formerly called a Decree Absolute). Once the court grants this order, the marriage is legally ended. As such, the statutory minimum period for a divorce is 26 weeks.

The process can take longer for a number of reasons, ranging from the difficulties of resolving financial issues to practical, administrative errors like delays in filing documents, or one party failing to respond on time. It is good practice to delay applying for the final order until there is a financial agreement in place to avoid any potential financial hardship should one party die leading to a loss of widow’s or widower’s rights under their pension.  

The actual process taking you from being married to being single again is straight forward and does not incur significant fees. However, time spent resolving financial issue or arrangements for children can lead to substantial costs being incurred. Every divorce process is different, and a divorce solicitor must consider specifics of each case before determining how much time and preparation need to go into it, or whether court proceedings are likely to be necessary regarding financial settlements or arrangements for children.

At the same time, the divorce lawyers at Switalskis know that the financial aspects of a divorce or dissolution are often at the forefront of every party's mind during the process. We also know that right advice from a divorce solicitor can save you money and stress later on, and we offer set prices for some divorce services to make it easier to access the legal support you need.

When you contact Switalskis to talk about your divorce and what you want to accomplish, our family law experts will advise you on costs based on your needs. We offer a free initial meeting, where we’ll let you know our estimate of the costs involved from the start. We're always upfront about what to expect from the process and how much the work will cost, so you can plan accordingly, without worrying about unexpected surprises later in the proceedings. To find out how much your separation might cost, just give us a call to set up a free consultation.

The cost of a divorce and resolving the financial and other issues arising from the separation in England and Wales depends on the circumstances of the case, but an agreement between the parties and their divorce lawyers to work collaboratively is often much more cost-effective. In a collaborative divorce, each party works with a collaborative lawyer who has committed to avoiding any court proceedings. This allows the parties to reach an agreement on the important considerations of a divorce or separation, such as childcare arrangements and financial matters, without making separate applications to the court for each issue. This can lead to a significant reduction in court costs, although you will still need to pay the standard court fee to cover the administrative processing of your application.

If you are in agreement about the terms of a divorce settlement, this can be the fastest and most cost-effective approach in most cases. Contact the collaborative family law team at Switalskis today to learn more about whether this process may be right for you and the costs involved.

To start divorce proceedings in England and Wales, you must have been legally married or in a civil partnership that is recognised in the UK for at least one year and consider the relationship to have irretrievably broken down. Divorce proceedings begin when you complete a divorce application using the court portal and pay the relevant court issue fee, although it's vital to secure legal advice from family law experts before you enter into the process.