Here in the UK, the divorce rate is estimated to be 42%. If you have found yourself in a situation where you feel as if your marriage is irreparable, then you are not alone; there are couples across the country that are in the same situation as you are right now.
At Prentice Family Law, our divorce solicitors in Guildford are here to provide you with friendly and professional advice throughout the process to help ease the situation for you as much as we possibly can. We understand that divorce is a traumatic and stressful time for everyone involved, especially when there are young children in the equation. Therefore, it is important to be informed of the formal procedures that are involved in the divorce process as much as you possibly can. By speaking to our team of divorce solicitors from the onset, you can make it easier for us to achieve a positive outcome for you and your loved ones.
How divorce works in the UK
Here at Prentice Family Law, we want to make the process as easy as possible for you; therefore, we want you to be aware of how divorce proceedings are carried out in the UK.
If you are filing for divorce, then you are the petitioner and the person who receives the divorce (your spouse) is the respondent. Proceedings can be carried out either in the form of a divorce petition, dissolution petition or judicial separation petition. The grounds for these petitions, as mentioned in the Matrimonial Causes Act of 1973, must be that your marriage has broken down irretrievably; this has to be proven to the authorities.
To do this, immediately preceding the petition, you must show that the respondent has committed one of the following: adultery, unreasonable behaviour, desertion, 2 years of separation with an agreement to divorce or 5 years of separation with no consent to divorce. At least one of these facts have to be established to show that there is an irretrievable breakdown. If this is undefended by the respondent, then the court will accept the petition; however, if the respondent challenges the allegation, the proceedings will be longer and more complicated.
Here at Prentice Family Law, our divorce solicitors in Guildford will guide you throughout the process, helping you submit all the necessary paperwork and evidence correctly and in a timely manner to help speed up the process.
However, in the near future, this procedure will be abolished, and there will be no need to show evidence for the reasons for divorce in order to file for one. Instead, it will become easier to make a joint application, and hopefully, this will help the process become more amicable and less complicated.
With our unrivalled service and legal advice here at Prentice Family Law, our divorce solicitors in Guildford are here to help you through what can be a very difficult period in your life. We hope that in the future, you can look back on this with positivity.