17
Oct 2016
The Quickie Divorce Myth
There are no doubt family lawyers across the land who smile quietly to themselves when the tabloids talk of another celebrity ‘quickie divorce’. The fact is, just as there is no such thing as a ‘common law wife’, there is no such thing as a ‘quickie divorce’. What we have in this country is either a process for divorces that are undefended by a spouse, and, although much less common, a process for divorces that are defended.
For the vast majority of divorces that are undefended, the process is the same. A divorce petition has to be filed at the Court and served on the other spouse. An application for the ‘Decree Nisi’ has to then be made and if the Court is satisfied that all legal requirements are met, a date will be set for the Decree Nisi to be formally pronounced. 6 weeks after the Decree Nisi, the final Decree, known as the Absolute, can be applied for.
There is no possibility, even for celebrities, of bypassing this formal Court process. Even divorces that are heralded as being ‘online’ still need to follow the same procedure. Bringing a marriage to an end is, at the end of the day, a legal process.
Marriages end for all sorts of reasons of course and it can be difficult explaining to someone whose marriage breakdown perhaps represents more of a mutual ‘parting of the ways’, that they will still need to follow the usual process. As our law currently stands, there is no option of both spouses simply attending at Court together to declare that they are facing ‘irreconcilable differences’ and want their marriage legally ending. That said, if both spouses want a divorce and deal with the necessary paperwork promptly, it is possible for the process to be concluded in the space of a few months.
Our experienced team of family and divorce lawyers are here to assist should you need advice on any family law or divorce matter. Contact our local family law experts on 0800 015 0340 to arrange an initial free half hour appointment at any of our offices in Huddersfield, Halifax, Wakefield, Horbury, Leeds, Pudsey or Morley.
- Like this ? Share with friends