Divorce & Family Law Solicitors in Nottingham

Our divorce and family law services

Frequently asked questions about divorce and family law

What does a family law solicitor do?

Our specialist family law solicitors in Nottingham provide divorce advice and dispute resolution methods to help resolve issues within a family.
Our solicitors for divorce can represent you or a family member during a divorce or domestic abuse case. We can also draw up pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements for married couples or a civil partnership, to provide peace of mind for the future.
We can assist with matters related to children and care proceedings. This includes negotiating Child Arrangement Orders, which document which parent a child will live with and spend time with.

We also have experience helping clients with many other areas of family law, including cohabitation agreements, financial issues, and civil partnership law.
Our family solicitors will always work to resolve disputes and negotiate on your behalf to get the best outcome and support you in cases that involve the family court.

Why should I use a local family law and divorce solicitor in Nottingham?

Choosing a local family law solicitor provides personalised face-to-face consultations, a better understanding of local services, and easier accessibility.
An in-person relationship is often important for sensitive legal matters such as divorce as it allows our Nottingham-based family law specialists to provide tailored support and connection.

What is the process of getting a divorce?

To apply for a divorce, you must have been married for at least a year. It doesn’t matter where in the world you were married, but you can only apply for a divorce in England and Wales if either you or your spouse meet certain residence conditions or are domiciled here.

The divorce process is generally administrative and online. This means that usually, neither of you will need to go to court to obtain a divorce as it generally takes place on paper. The process is simple, as long as your spouse does not decide to dispute the proceedings.

It is no longer possible to defend a divorce by saying that the marriage has not irretrievably broken down. It is possible to dispute the proceedings, but the grounds are limited to issues about the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case or about the validity or subsistence of the marriage. When this happens, a different procedure applies. Disputed proceedings are rare.

Who can file for a divorce?

A divorce application can be filed by either or both parties to the marriage, i.e., a joint application can be made. If a joint application is made, you will be equally responsible for the application. You can agree between yourselves how to pay the court fee for the application.

To initiate no-fault divorce proceedings, one party (sole application), or both parties (joint application) will start by submitting a divorce application, also called a divorce petition, to their spouse. Their spouse has two weeks to send back an “acknowledgement of service” form confirming receipt of the application.

What is a conditional order (decree nisi)?

Once the acknowledgement of service is received and a period of at least 20 weeks has elapsed from the start of the proceedings, you can apply for a conditional order, previously known as a decree nisi.

This legal document allows you to proceed with the divorce, confirming there’s no reason why the divorce cannot go ahead. Court approval of the conditional order may take a number of weeks.

What is a final order (decree absolute)?

Upon approval of the conditional order, there will be a further six weeks before you can apply for a final order, formerly known as a decree absolute. This document finalises the divorce, officially recognising both parties as divorced under the law.

Not everyone should apply for a final order as soon as it is available. It may not be sensible to apply immediately if, for example, financial arrangements are not yet settled. Before seeking the final order, both parties should ensure that their financial settlement is agreed upon and legally binding through a financial order.

How long does a divorce take?

A divorce or dissolution will take at least six months to complete, even if your circumstances are straightforward, due to a 26-week waiting period that must be completed before getting divorced in England and Wales.

However, in many cases, it may take longer if you need to sort out issues with finances, property or children. These matters will be handled separately from your divorce or dissolution application.