Divorce Solicitors

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If your marriage has broken down and you’re facing divorce, you may feel upset and worried about the future. So it helps to have an expert team of divorce solicitors in your corner.

We know that you’ll have concerns about things like spending time with your children, or how your wealth will be divided. Our lawyers will make sure that your best interests are taken into account during divorce proceedings, looking at your needs both now and in the future.

For a consultation about your divorce, call us on 0345 604 4911, or contact us online.

What Are The Grounds For Divorce?

From 6 April 2022, the law on divorce changed and no fault divorce replaced the old system.

You no longer need to give a reason for the breakdown of the marriage, or to blame one party. Instead, you give a statement which confirms that the marriage has broken down irretrievably.

You must have been married or in a civil partnership for at least 12 months before submitting your application.

Read our No Fault Divorce FAQs for more information

What Happens About Our Finances On Divorce?

Finances are dealt with separately from the divorce itself.

The aim is to achieve a fair outcome looking at all the circumstances of the case and taking into account each partner’s resources. These include:

  • Properties (including the family home)
  • Savings and investments
  • Pensions
  • Income
  • Business interests
  • Financial commitments.

Do I have to go to Court to Get Divorced?

It’s very unusual to have to go to court in person for the divorce itself.

In relation to financial matters it is often possible to avoid going to court and to reach a settlement through a process such as:

Our divorce solicitors are expert negotiators. We also have qualified collaborative divorce lawyers within our team.

However, if an amicable settlement isn’t possible, our lawyers will support you through any court appearances and fight for a fair settlement for you.

How Long Does It Take To Get Divorced?

On average it takes between 6-8 months to get divorced. However, this depends on factors such as:

  • How far you and your partner agree on things such as finances
  • How quickly paperwork is returned.

While we understand that you’ll want the divorce process over as quickly as possible, it’s important not to rush into any hasty decisions. Our divorce solicitors will work hard to ensure your settlement is fair, and allows you to move on with your life.

How Much Does A Divorce Cost?

The amount that your divorce will cost depends on how much work is needed to negotiate a settlement with your ex-partner. In general, your divorce will cost more if there are major disagreements and if you have to go to court.

Where you and your ex-partner are not contesting the divorce, we offer a fixed-fee option. This costs £264 if you’re responding to a divorce petition, or £660 if you’re petitioning for divorce. These prices exclude standard court fees, which you’ll need to pay separately.

The cost of dealing with the financial part is separate from the divorce. Your solicitor will give you an estimate at the start, based on your particular circumstances.

Why Choose Our Divorce Solicitors?

Our lawyers are expert negotiators who will work hard to fight your corner. With offices across the country, we can help you wherever you’re based.

We have particular experience in divorces involving high net worth individuals and people with business interests. If you hold assets overseas, or you or your partner live abroad, we can help you negotiate the added difficulty this can cause.

As pioneers in the legal sector, work by our leading lawyers has changed family law. In October 2015, we helped two women to challenge their divorce settlements at the Supreme Court, on the basis that their husbands had been dishonest about their financial circumstances. This successful challenge led to a change in the law.

Mediation Support Service – Free 30-Minute Consultation

Family mediation can be a less confrontational and more cost-effective way to resolve a dispute. We offer a free 30-minute consultation with one of our solicitors to discuss your situation and if mediation is right for you.

If you decide to go ahead with mediation, you can benefit from our cost effective mediation support service. This service will give you the advice, support and tools to get the best possible outcome – particularly if you’re representing yourself.

Contact Us

To find out how we can help with your divorce, please call us on 0345 604 4911, or contact us online.

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Ros Bever National Head of Family Law Meet the team

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"Ros Bever is an excellent lawyer who is passionate about getting things right."

Chambers & Partners, 2019

Frequently Asked Questions

What If There Are Children Involved?

If you have children, it's important that their needs are prioritised throughout the divorce process. There are a number of decisions to be made involving your children, such as:

  • Where your child will live and how much contact you and your ex-partner will have
  • Where your child will go to school and who is responsible for any school fees
  • Child maintenance payments
  • The amount of contact your child has with its extended family

We have decades of experience in helping divorcing parents come to agreements about the future of their children, and we may be able to help you reach an amicable solution that satisfies all parties.

Some members of our team are on the Law Society Children Panel while others are qualified mediators, collaborative lawyers or arbitrators, so you can trust us to work sensitively to reach an agreement that puts your children first.

For more information on how we can help, please call us today on 0345 604 4911, or contact us online, for an initial consultation.

What If We're Not Quite Ready To Divorce Yet?

If you would like to separate from your partner but are not yet ready to divorce, you can consider getting a Separation Agreement from a court. This will give you time to agree on your personal and financial arrangements prior to divorcing, or allow you to separate your finances and responsibilities in a clear and agreeable way before you separate.

There is also the option of judicial separation, which is where you have no more marital obligations to your partner, but you legally remain married. If you separate in this way, you will not be able to remarry until you get a divorce. The process is very similar to divorce and some people choose it for religious or moral reasons.

If you'd like to talk to us about the various options available to you, please call us today on 0345 604 4911, or contact us online.

How Can I Protect Myself From Financial Claims In The Future?

There are a range of measures we can take to help you guard against receiving financial claims from your ex-partner in the future.

Firstly, if you get a court order that sets out how the financial claims have been settled between you and your ex-partner, then this will determine what if any claims can be made in the future.

You can also obtain a form of financial order known as a 'clean break', which means no further financial claims can be made by either you or your ex-partner in the future.

It is important to get a court order, even if you have agreed everything between you, as otherwise your claims against each other remain open indefinitely leaving you both vulnerable to future claims by the other person.

If you have any questions about our family law services, or want to know how we can help you and your family through what may be a difficult time, then please call us today on 0345 604 4911, or contact us online, for a consultation on your case.

I live in Scotland, can Irwin Mitchell help me?

Our expert family law team works with a number of trusted partners to help our clients with family law issues in Scotland.

We’ll be your point of contact and manage the entire process for you throughout. You’ll get frequent progress updates and we’ll break down any legal jargon into plain English so you’re always in the loop.

To find out more about how we can help, give us a call on 0345 604 4911 or contact us online.

Read More FAQs

Related Information - Divorce Solicitors

Civil Partnerships - Our family law solicitors can help you with a range of legal issues, from pre-partnership agreements to separation
Divorce Financial Settlements - Make sure you get a fair settlement when untangling complex joint finances after divorce
Child Arrangements – We are experienced at negotiating child arrangements after divorces and separations
Fixed-Fee Divorce - A quick, easy and cost-effective way to get divorces if you and your partner have agreed to separate

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We're always proud to be recognised for the work we do for our clients and have been named as a leading firm in the latest legal guides - which provide information and recommendations about lawyers and law firms in the UK.

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A Quality Service
A group of talented lawyers who are passionate about what they do and how they do it"
Legal 500, 2020
A High Level of Service
They consistently endeavour to offer a high level of service to their clients"
Chambers & Partners, 2020

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Kids in the middle

Proud to support Kids in the Middle

Kids in the Middle is a charity which aims to help children whose parents are going through, or have gone through a divorce.

As a lead partner of the charity, we’re making sure that the views of children are heard when decisions are being made which concern their welfare.


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