Divorce & Family Services

At Specters, our experienced team of solicitors will provide you with first-class service and advice tailored to your situation.

The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 (DDSA) came into effect on 6^th April 2022, introducing the new law on divorce.

To be eligible for divorce, you need to have been married or in a civil partnership for at least 12 months.

An applicant can make a sole application to the courts for divorce. Additionally, spouses can choose to issue a joint application for divorce.

To apply for a divorce, you need to provide a statement that the marriage has irretrievably broken down. There is no requirement to detail evidence or particulars about the breakdown of the marriage. Therefore, if your marriage has irretrievably broken down, a divorce application can be issued.

There is a timetable of 26 weeks for the divorce process. However, this can vary depending on issues such as whether the divorce is disputed, if the other party cannot be traced or there are jurisdiction issues. The main steps are:

1. Complete a divorce application as a sole applicant or as joint applicants
2. Submit your divorce application to the courts
3. Apply for a Conditional Order
4. Apply for a Final Order

If you are unsure whether you want to go through with your divorce, there may be other options open to you. We will discuss these options with you so that you can make an informed decision.

It is important that you receive the correct legal advice early on to decide on the best approach for you. This relates to key issues such as divorce, custody of children, financial arrangements, pension arrangements and inheritance after divorce. Following a divorce, ex-partners may still have financial obligations toward each other. It is important to receive the correct advice to ensure that the financial relationship between you and your ex-partner comes to an end.

There may be an international element to your divorce such as property abroad or your spouse may be living out of the jurisdiction. There may also be company assets or trusts that need to be resolved.

Whatever your situation, our team can help you by offering detailed knowledge and skill to ensure that your rights are protected. We are based in the heart of Farringdon, London, and operate nationally.

If you have questions about your options, we can offer you a free initial 30-minute consultation in person, and we fix our rate per 30 minutes at £50 thereafter. You can free-call us on 0300 303 3629 to arrange this initial consultation, or alternatively, you can complete our enquiry form.

Where Divorce & Family matters are concerned, we specialise in the following areas:

• Annulment
• Business & Divorce
• Children
• Civil Partnership
• Cohabitation Disputes
• Disputed Divorce
• Undisputed Divorce
• Domestic Abuse
• Financial Settlement
• Inheritance & Wills
• International Divorce
• Pre-nuptial Arrangements
• Post-Nuptial Agreements

We expect the divorce process to take between 3 and 6 months, depending on various issues such as whether the other party consents. Delays may be incurred if the other party cannot be traced, is out of the jurisdiction or contests the divorce.

We are able to provide a fixed fee for uncontested divorces of £700 plus VAT. If your divorce is uncontested, we will move swiftly to conclude matters.

Specters Solicitors has highly trained female, Arabic speaking solicitors on hand to deal with required specialised cases.