Divorce solicitors in Leicester

Divorce in England and Wales has been no-fault since 6 April 2022. You no longer have to blame your spouse for adultery or behaviour, or wait for years of separation. You simply state that the marriage has broken down irretrievably.

The steps

1. Application. One of you, or both jointly, applies online. The court sends the application to the other spouse, who confirms they’ve received it.
2. The 20-week wait. There’s a minimum of 20 weeks from the start of the proceedings before you can apply for the conditional order. It’s meant as a period of reflection, and it’s also when most couples start working out the finances.
3. Conditional order. The court confirms it sees no reason you can’t divorce.
4. Final order. At least six weeks and one day after the conditional order, you can apply for the final order, which legally ends the marriage.

The same process applies to ending a civil partnership, where it’s called dissolution.

Do you need a solicitor?

For the divorce itself, often not. The online service is designed for people to use without a lawyer. A solicitor is worth having where there is money or property to divide, where there are pensions, where the other person is not cooperating, where there has been domestic abuse, or where there is an overseas connection that might affect which country’s courts should deal with it.

The part people forget

A final order ends the marriage but it doesn’t deal with money. Unless the court approves a financial order, financial claims between you can remain open, even years later. See financial settlements on divorce for how that works.

Children

Divorce doesn’t decide where children live or how they spend time with each parent. Most parents agree this between themselves. If you can’t, see child arrangements.

Common questions