Divorce and separation solicitors

The minimum is around 7 to 8 months from application to Final Order, because of the mandatory 20-week reflection period built into the no-fault process. In reality most divorces take longer, particularly where the finances are complex or contested. According to Ministry of Justice data, the average time from application to Conditional Order was 37 weeks in 2024. Joint applications tend to finish faster than sole applications.

We recommend taking legal advice before you apply, particularly where you own property together, where there are pensions or children or where your spouse is not cooperating. The financial and children arrangements are where mistakes are most costly and most avoidable.

The court fee to file a divorce application is currently £628. If you instruct Ansons to manage the divorce process, our fees for that process on its own are typically £500 to £700 plus VAT and disbursements. Financial settlement work, including negotiating and drafting a Consent Order, is a separate matter and costed according to its complexity. We always give you a clear estimate before we start.

The family home is usually the most significant asset. The options include selling it and dividing the proceeds, one of you buying the other out, or a deferred arrangement (often used where there are children) in which the house is kept until a trigger event, such as the youngest child turning 18. The right approach depends on your circumstances, the equity and what both of you can afford. We help you work through the options and make sure any agreement is properly recorded in a sealed Consent Order.

No. Since no-fault divorce came in in April 2022, a spouse cannot contest or block a divorce. They can only challenge the court's jurisdiction (for example, arguing the case should be heard in another country) or the validity of the marriage itself. They cannot refuse simply because they do not want to divorce.

A Consent Order is a legally binding document, approved by the court, that records the financial agreement between you and your spouse. Without one, financial claims do not automatically end when you divorce, and your ex-spouse could make claims against assets, an inheritance or business interests, potentially years later. If you have any assets to divide, we strongly recommend putting a Consent Order in place before or at the point of the Final Order.

Pensions are treated as a matrimonial asset and considered alongside property, savings and other assets. A pension can be divided by a Pension Sharing Order (part of the fund is transferred to the other person's pension), a Pension Earmarking Order (a share of future payments is redirected) or offset against other assets. Pensions are often undervalued or overlooked in settlements, so we work with specialist actuaries where needed to make sure you have the full picture.

Divorce legally ends a marriage. Separation means you live apart but remain legally married. A legal (or judicial) separation is an alternative for couples who do not want to divorce, often for religious or financial reasons, and allows the court to make financial orders without ending the marriage. For unmarried couples there is no formal legal process, but cohabiting couples may have rights over property and children. We can advise on each of these routes.