Our specialist team can help you through all aspects of a relationship breakdown including divorce, separation, financial settlements and issues regarding children. We handle cases with the utmost sensitivity and put your best interests first.
Our family law solicitors offer a 30 minute free initial consultation to allow you to understand your options, and choose your next steps.
We have put together some information about the processes, these all apply if you are in a same-sex or a opposite sex relationship.
The divorce process
In England and Wales, the divorce process has three main stages. During the process, the person who files for divorce is known as the applicant and the person who receives the application is the respondent. It is possible for spouses to complete a joint application in which case the applicants will be known as applicant 1 and applicant 2.
In order to begin the divorce process the couple must have been married for at least 12 months.
Civil partnership
If you are in a civil partnership and want to bring your relationship to an end, you will need to apply to the court for a dissolution. You must have been in a civil partnership for at least one year before you can apply to dissolve it.
Separation agreements
If you have separated from your partner but are not yet ready or able to issue divorce or dissolution proceedings, you may still want to divide your assets using a separation agreement.
A separation agreement is by consent, so your partner would need to be in agreement, and would detail how the assets are to be divided up, whether there should be any maintenance payable, and can also set out arrangements in relation to your children.
Although separation agreements are not court orders and there is no guarantee that they would be legally binding, the court may be persuaded to follow the terms agreed in a separation agreement should an issue arise when divorce proceedings are applied for at a later date.
Our specialist team can help you through all aspects of a relationship breakdown including divorce, separation, financial settlements and issues regarding children. We handle cases with the utmost sensitivity and put your best interests first.
Our family law solicitors offer a 30 minute free initial consultation to allow you to understand your options, and choose your next steps.
We have put together some information about the processes, these all apply if you are in a same-sex or a opposite sex relationship.
The divorce process
In England and Wales, the divorce process has three main stages. During the process, the person who files for divorce is known as the applicant and the person who receives the application is the respondent. It is possible for spouses to complete a joint application in which case the applicants will be known as applicant 1 and applicant 2.
In order to begin the divorce process the couple must have been married for at least 12 months.
Civil partnership
If you are in a civil partnership and want to bring your relationship to an end, you will need to apply to the court for a dissolution. You must have been in a civil partnership for at least one year before you can apply to dissolve it.
Separation agreements
If you have separated from your partner but are not yet ready or able to issue divorce or dissolution proceedings, you may still want to divide your assets using a separation agreement.
A separation agreement is by consent, so your partner would need to be in agreement, and would detail how the assets are to be divided up, whether there should be any maintenance payable, and can also set out arrangements in relation to your children.
Although separation agreements are not court orders and there is no guarantee that they would be legally binding, the court may be persuaded to follow the terms agreed in a separation agreement should an issue arise when divorce proceedings are applied for at a later date.
