If you’re going through a divorce, you need the support of a compassionate and experienced legal team. At Hamblin Family Law, we understand the complexities of family law and we’re here to simplify the process for you. Our team of expert divorce lawyers in London provides personal, tailored care for each and every case. You can trust in our experience to guide you through this challenging time.
We take care of all of the legal and administrative processes of dissolving your marriage or civil partnership for you. This will involve considering the appropriate jurisdiction for your case, working together with foreign advisers where necessary, putting your initial petition together (or acknowledging service of the same), obtaining your final order, and dealing with any cost disputes that may arise.
Divorce proceedings can be complex and the timeframe may vary according to your unique circumstances and any disputes that may arise. However, as an overview, the divorce process involves the following steps:
You and your spouse must have been legally married for at least one year to file for a divorce.
It is also important to provide a reason for the marriage to have broken down permanently and for you or your partner to satisfy certain jurisdictional requirements, which we can discuss with you.
The divorce application can be filed by one spouse in a Sole Application or jointly in a Joint Application as part of a no-fault divorce.
See more information about a no-fault divorce below.
If you’re filing for divorce against your partner, they will need to complete and return the Acknowledgment of Service form within 14 days to confirm receipt of the divorce application, which will need to be done online or via their solicitors.
Once the Acknowledgement of Service has been received, and 20 weeks have passed since the divorce application was submitted, the Conditional Order can be applied for. This means the court has agreed that you can end your marriage. Before divorce laws were reformed in April 2022, the Conditional Order was called the ‘decree nisi’.
A judge will then review your application and, if satisfied, pronounce the Conditional Order in court.
After a waiting period of at least six weeks and one day from the date of the Conditional Order, you can apply for the Final Order, which is the final pronouncement of divorce.
Once the final order is granted, your marriage is legally dissolved and the divorce is complete. Both people are then free to enter a new marriage or civil partnership.
From 6 April 2022, separating couples could apply for a no-fault divorce. Previously, one spouse was required to divorce the other by stating specific grounds – such as, adultery, unreasonable behaviour or desertion – or a divorce could only be filed if a couple had been living apart for at least two years.
Mercifully, a no-fault divorce removes the need to assign blame for the end of a marriage to one person, thereby reducing conflict and preventing the divorce from being contested. A no-fault divorce can also be applied for jointly, ensuring a more amicable outcome for both parties.
We offer legal support and advice in all aspects of divorce, including filing a divorce petition, reaching a financial settlement or order, determining what should happen to the family home, pensions and maintenance payments, and making arrangements for children. We also provide fixed fees for all of our divorce services; saving you from any unnecessary stress or uncertainty over your legal fees.
At every stage of your divorce journey, we are passionate about giving our clients the support and guidance they need to begin the next chapter of their lives feeling confident and empowered.
We communicate with openness, honesty and compassion, being highly sensitive to the emotions involved for everyone concerned. We will be your voice in difficult discussions, using our legal experience and expertise to resolve disputes and reach a positive resolution.
We also understand that every divorce is uniquely personal and therefore requires tailored support and individual care. While many clients feel their spouses will never settle, the vast majority of our cases settle outside of court, and this is always what we strive for. Having said that, we are not afraid to go to court when we need to.
