Divorce Solicitors

Uncontested divorces take about 6 months from start to finish – this includes the 20-week “reflection period” and 6-week waiting period built into the process. Complex cases involving children or financial disputes can take 12-18 months or longer, depending on how cooperative your ex is. We can often speed things up by running financial negotiations alongside the divorce process. We’ll give you realistic timescales from day one and update you regularly on progress.

There’s no automatic 50/50 split despite what many people think. The court considers your contributions (both financial and as a homemaker), the length of your marriage, your ages and health, your future earning capacity, and your children’s needs. If you’ve been married for less than 5 years with no children, you might keep what you brought into the marriage. Longer marriages typically result in more equal sharing. We’ll assess your specific situation and fight for what you legally deserve – which is often more than people initially think.

Depending on your circumstances, absolutely. Pre-marital assets, inheritances, gifts from family, and business assets you owned before marriage can often be protected. If your spouse has behaved badly (affairs, domestic violence, wasting money), this can affect their entitlement. If you’ve been the main earner and your spouse contributed little, or if it’s a short marriage, you may keep more. We use expert financial analysis to present the strongest case for protecting your assets.

Since April 2022, the good news is you don’t need your spouse’s agreement to get divorced. We can proceed with a “no fault” divorce that they can’t contest – no more having to prove adultery or unreasonable behaviour. They’ll receive papers and have the opportunity to respond, but they can’t stop the divorce itself.

However, they can still disagree about how to divide money and arrange children’s living situations. This is where having experienced solicitors becomes crucial to protect your interests.

Your safety and your children’s safety come first, always. We can apply for emergency Non-Molestation Orders and Occupation Orders within 24-48 hours to legally protect you. These can stop your ex from contacting you, coming to your home, or coming near your workplace or children’s school. We work closely with local refuges and support services, and can arrange for papers to be served through the court to avoid direct contact. All our domestic violence work is handled with absolute sensitivity and confidentiality.

Usually yes, provided you or your spouse is habitually resident in England and Wales. We regularly handle divorces from marriages that took place in other countries – whether religious ceremonies abroad, destination weddings, or marriages from when you lived overseas. The complexity comes with international assets, foreign property, or if your ex lives abroad. We have specialist expertise in cross-border family law and work with international lawyers when needed to ensure your overseas assets are properly protected.

The family home is usually the biggest asset and most contentious issue. Options include: one person keeping it (by offsetting other assets or taking on the mortgage), selling it and splitting the proceeds, or delaying the sale until children are older. If there are children, the parent with main custody often has a stronger claim to stay in the home. We’ll get an up-to-date valuation and explore every option to achieve the best outcome for your family’s circumstances.

Business-owning spouses often try to minimise their income or claim the business is worthless. We instruct forensic accountants to properly value businesses and examine lifestyle vs. declared income. We can obtain court orders forcing disclosure of business records, bank statements, and tax returns.

Our goal is to ensure you get your fair share of the business value without destroying the income source your family depends on. We’ve handled everything from corner shops to multi-million pound enterprises.