27
May 2014
A Divorce in 105 seconds – surely not!
The Telegraph has reported today that Max Clifford’s marriage to his former PA was ended in 105 seconds! Whilst that might have been the length of the Decree Nisi hearing at court, such reports do not deter our clients from seeking a ‘quickie divorce’. It is always with a heavy heart that we have to advise people that there is no such thing.
The divorce process itself can take around 3 to 4 months and involves several stages of paperwork being prepared and submitted to court. The first step, once the basis of the divorce has been decided is for the Petition to be lodged with the local Family Court. This is then posted to the other party who is required to complete what is called the Acknowledgement of Service form confirming that the Petition has been safely received. This is returned to court and then sent out the petitioning party who makes the application for Decree Nisi. The Decree Nisi is pronounced in court at a later date ,which is presumably what took 105 seconds in Max Clifford’s case. The next and final stage is the application for Decree Absolute which in fact cannot be made until 6 weeks and a day after the Decree Nisi. The process can be drawn out even further if there are matrimonial finances to resolve as it is often beneficial to remain married until a final agreement is reached, particularly if there are pensions to deal with. Other issues which can affect the time it takes to get divorced include the cooperation of the other party. If they choose not to acknowledge that they have received the Petition or if they decide to defend the divorce then the 3 to 4 month time estimate is unrealistic and it would take significantly longer.
So you see, there is no such thing as a ‘quickie divorce’. What we can guarantee at Chadwick Lawrence however is that we will deal with your divorce swiftly and efficiently and wherever possible we will deal with correspondence within 24 hours.
At Chadwick Lawrence we have one of the most experienced Family law teams in the region. If you would like to find out where you stand on any Family law matter then please contact us for some initial advice free of charge on 0800 387 747
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