Up until they have experienced problems in their marriage, most people may not have dealt with a solicitor or court proceedings, and the whole situation may seem quite daunting. We at Prentice Family Law, are a small firm of divorce solicitors in Guildford, with over 20 years of experience in providing a tailored service that you may not be able to get at larger firms. We understand how complicated and traumatic a divorce can be for anyone involved; therefore, our role is to help ease the process and achieve a positive outcome for you and your loved ones.
Grounds for divorce
A divorce can be granted if there has been an irretrievable breakdown of your marriage. This needs to be proven in order for the divorce proceedings to commence. To show that your marriage has broken down, you must be able to prove that your partner has been guilty of either adultery, unreasonable behaviour or desertion. Furthermore, if you both have lived separately for 2 years with an agreement to divorce or lived separately for 5 years with one party refusing to divorce, then these too can be grounds for divorce if proven.
Unreasonable behaviour is the simple and most common cause of divorce, and this can be used to show the courts that it is intolerable to live together any longer. On the other hand, adultery will need to be proven as there needs to be evidence that sexual intercourse has occurred between the respondent and a member of the opposite sex; however, if this is not possible, then you may wish to file for unreasonable behaviour instead. Although this can be one of the most difficult situations you may find yourself in, unless the respondent accepts the accusation, it can result in highly complicated divorce proceedings.
Whether you are the petitioner filing for divorce or the respondent receiving a divorce, contact our divorce solicitors in Guildford at Prentice Family Law today. Our divorce solicitors in Guildford will guide you throughout the process, filling out all paperwork and putting together evidence. This will allow you to worry about the other issues that arise at the same time in other aspects of your life.
We understand that divorce can affect many aspects of your life; therefore, we are here to ease the process for you. Our divorce solicitors are highly passionate about the services we provide. We offer a free telephone consultation where you can get to know us better and speak to us about your situation. During this consultation, we can explain how we will put together your case and achieve the best possible outcome for your situation.
In cases where both the petitioner and the respondent give their consent for divorce, the divorce proceedings can be completed within 4 to 6 months. In more complicated cases where the respondent may wish to challenge the petition, the proceedings can become longer and significantly more difficult. However, we are here to provide our expertise and friendly advice to help you through the process.