Divorce very often can cause a great deal of stress and worry. Very often with Divorce matters clients are afraid of the unknown and seek out advice before deciding to go through the process. It is therefore important to know what is involved.

The process is now conducted entirely online via a dedicated government website called HMCTS.

1. Do you need grounds?
To be able to divorce you must confirm only that the marriage has broken down irretrievably. No other reason is required. No grounds are required.

2. Do you have the marriage certificate?
All divorce applications begin with submitting a full clear scan of the marriage certificate. If lost, you can easily obtain a duplicate from your local registry office for a minimal charge. Please note in cases involving a marriage abroad, in addition to the marriage certificate a certified English translation will also be required, so getting these documents early is essential.

3. Do you want to make a financial claim?
Financial claims are a separate process on the HMCTS website. Since the divorce process takes at least 6 months, you can consider the financial aspect once you have started the ball rolling so to speak. In the divorce process, all that is required is that you tell the court whether you intend to make a financial claim or not. Further action will need to be taken later.

The procedure of getting a divorce is much easier now. Other aspects however can be tricky, such as sorting out the money side or the arrangements for the children. It is always however prudent to get prompt legal advice in matters to assist you further through the process.