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Divorce Process

Under the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020, which came into effect in April 2022, couples may now apply for divorce jointly, or one party may make a sole application.

To apply for divorce, you will need to provide:

  • Yours and your spouse’s full name and current address
  • Your original marriage certificate or a certified copy (and a certified translation if your marriage certificate is not in English)
  • Proof of any name change following marriage (such as changing your maiden name via deed poll)

Applications can be made online via the government website or by post. To apply by post, you must complete a form D8 and send it to:

HMCTS Divorce and Dissolution service
PO Box 13226
Harlow
CM20 9UG

If you instruct a solicitor, they will make the application for you. Even if you choose to make the application yourself, seeking legal advice is extremely important – the right advice can have a significant impact on the outcome of your divorce.

The divorce process typically takes at least 7 months, regardless of whether the application is made jointly or solely. Once the initial application has been made, a 20-week waiting period will begin, during which you will have to wait before you can progress to the next stage. You will be notified when the waiting period has passed, and you can then apply for a conditional order, which confirms that the court does not see any reason why you cannot divorce.

Once a conditional order has been granted, you must wait an additional 43 days before you can apply for a final order, which ends your marriage. It is advisable to have a financial settlement in place before applying for a final order, whether this is a financial order from the court or an agreement with your spouse enshrined in a consent order.

If you are considering a divorce, contact Vardags today for a free initial consultation with one of our expert divorce solicitors.

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How long does the divorce process take?

Please note that the following guide only applies to divorces started before 4pm on 5th April 2022. For divorces after this date, no fault divorce now applies. There is a common misconception that a “quickie” divorce is possible in this country. Divorcing...
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Should I make a sole or joint application for divorce?

Why can couples now make a joint application for divorce? The reforms introducing no-fault divorce to England and Wales through the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 were aimed at making the divorce process simpler and less acrimonious. The new ability for...
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Understanding Conditional Orders and Final Orders in Divorce

As of the 6th of April 2022, England and Wales now has a no-fault divorce system, introduced by the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act. This marked the first significant change to divorce law in 50 years. The new system has brought many changes and reforms, including...
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How to Appoint a Confidential Divorce Lawyer for High-Value Matters (2026)

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Are You Really Ready for Divorce? 8 Important Questions You Need to Ask

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Business Continuity Planning During Divorce

For many business owners, divorce presents two parallel challenges. The first is personal: navigating the emotional, financial, and practical consequences of the end of a marriage. The second is commercial: ensuring that the business continues to operate effectively while...
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How Are Carried Interest and Partnership Structures Treated in Divorce Proceedings?

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Celebrity Divorces: What We Can Learn From Them

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Choosing the Right Divorce Lawyer for Complex Prenuptial and Postnuptial Matters (2026 Edition)

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Common Misconceptions About Prenuptial Agreements

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How Complex Corporate Structures Are Assessed in Divorce Proceedings (2026)

Complex corporate structures are a common feature of high-value divorce proceedings. Where one or both spouses have interests in private companies, holding structures, partnerships, or layered corporate arrangements, the court’s task becomes significantly more nuanced....
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Considerations Guide for Business Owners Facing Divorce

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How Cryptocurrency and Digital Assets Are Valued in High Net Worth Divorce Cases

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How to Deal with a Difficult Spouse During a Divorce

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How Are Deferred Compensation and Bonus Structures Treated in High-Value Divorce Cases?

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Differences Between Spousal and Child Maintenance

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8 Different Types Of Evidence You Can Use In Family Law Cases

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A Guide to Dividing Complex Asset Portfolios in High-Value Divorce Proceedings

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Legal Guide to Dividing Salary Income During Divorce Proceedings

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Divorce Considerations for Professional Partnerships

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Divorce During Pregnancy In The UK: What You Need To Know

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How Does Divorce Work When Wealth Is Managed Through a Family Office? (2026)

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Divorce Financial Rules 2026: Salary Income and Asset Division

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Navigating Divorce Jurisdiction Between UK and US Law: What HNW Clients Need to Know

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High-Value Divorce Asset Protection: A Strategic Guide for UHNW Clients

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What Strategic Factors Matter Most in High-Value Divorce Litigation? (2026)

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How Do English Courts Value Assets in High-Value Divorce Cases? (2026)

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How Do English and UAE Divorce Laws Differ for International Families?

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How Are Custody Arrangements Managed When Parents Hold Assets Across Multiple Jurisdictions?

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How Are Offshore Holding Structures Scrutinised During Financial Remedy Proceedings?

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How Are Pension Assets and Long-Term Wealth Divided in High-Income Divorce Cases?

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How the Courts Determine ‘Needs’ in High-Value Financial Remedy Cases (2026)

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Evidence Strategies for Divorce Court

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How Are Executive Share Schemes Handled During Divorce Proceedings?

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How Divorce Impacts Investment Portfolios

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How Do English Courts Assess Financial Need in Ultra High Net Worth Divorce Proceedings?

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How Does Grey Divorce Affect Adult Children?

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How English Courts Assess Business Assets in Divorce Proceedings

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How Do English Courts Treat Liquidity Constraints in High-Value Divorce Settlements? (2026)

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Building A Support System During Divorce

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Can A Parent Legally Abduct Their Own Child?

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How the English Courts Treat Trusts and Offshore Assets in Divorce (2026)

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How Does A Family Lawyer Determine If You Have A Strong Case?

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How Income Inequality May Lead to Divorce

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How Technology Is Changing Divorce Cases

A WhatsApp message sent in 2018 was, in 2024, the central piece of evidence in a contested financial proceeding heard in the Family Division. The message had been forwarded, screenshotted, and recovered from a backup; it bore on the question of whether one spouse had received...
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Contested vs Uncontested Divorce: What's the Difference?

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Cross-Border Child Custody Disputes Explained

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How to Prepare for a Complex Divorce Involving Significant International Assets

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Illiquid Assets in Divorce: How Courts Handle Private Equity and Venture Holdings

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The Impact of a Family Office in Divorce

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The Importance of Early Legal Advice in Divorce

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Does Wealth Make Divorce More Likely?

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The Hidden Cost of Delaying Divorce

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How Divorce Can Impact Your Business

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How Long After Divorce Can You Remarry?

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How to Deal with Delay Tactics in Divorce

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How to Financially Prepare for a Divorce

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How to Get Divorced When Your Spouse Is Missing

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How Ultra High Net Worth Matrimonial Finance Cases Are Managed

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How to Reduce Legal Costs in Divorce Proceedings: 7 Practical Considerations

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Important Questions to Ask Before Signing a Prenuptial Agreement

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International Divorce: What Happens When Couples Live In Different Countries

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International Prenuptial Agreements Explained

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Is There Quick Divorce in the UK?

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Lifestyle Analysis in Divorce Explained

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Managing Privacy and Reputation Risks During High-Profile Divorce Proceedings (2026)

High-profile divorce proceedings present challenges that extend well beyond legal and financial considerations. Where one or both parties have public visibility, significant commercial interests, or reputational exposure, privacy becomes a central concern. Even where...
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Mediation vs. Arbitration in a Divorce: What's the Difference?

We hear a lot about litigation vs negotiation in divorce, but mediation vs arbitration is just as complex a debate. Both are sometimes lumped together as "alternative dispute resolution", a category that frames them as the soft, off-court options for couples who want...
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Navigating a High-Conflict Divorce: An Expert Guide

Divorce is never easy, but when conflict escalates, it can become one of the most challenging experiences of a lifetime. High-conflict divorces often involve deep emotional strain, ongoing disputes over finances or children, and communication that has broken down entirely....
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2026 Update: What New Court Rulings Mean for Divorce Property

The past twelve months have produced some of the most significant judicial decisions on divorce property. Two rulings in particular have reshaped what practitioners and their clients can expect when contested financial proceedings reach court: one from the Supreme Court, the...
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How Are Private Investment Vehicles Examined in High Net Worth Divorce Cases?

Private investment vehicles are often where significant wealth is concentrated in high net worth divorces, and they are also where some of the fiercest disclosure and valuation disputes arise. Hedge fund structures, family investment companies, offshore holding entities,...
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How Property Portfolios Are Assessed in Complex High-Value Divorce Proceedings

Property is the asset class most people understand intuitively. A house has a value; you can look at comparable sales and arrive at a figure. But when the "property" in a divorce is not a single family home but a portfolio of 15 buy-to-let flats, a commercial...
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How to Protect Your Home When Premarital Property Faces Divorce

Owning a property before you marry does not guarantee you will keep it. English family courts operate on the principle of fairness rather than ownership, and a home that predates the marriage by years, even decades, can be drawn into the matrimonial pot if it has been lived...
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Essential Considerations Guide for Protecting Business Assets During Divorce

The worst time to think about protecting a business in a divorce is when the divorce has already started. By that point, the company's value is crystallising into a number on a balance sheet, and every tactical option has narrowed. The better time is years before, ideally...
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Protecting Business Interests When Divorcing as a Company Director or Founder (2026)

Divorce can present particular challenges for company directors and founders whose personal and professional lives are closely intertwined. Where business interests form a significant part of an individual’s wealth, divorce proceedings may raise complex questions about...
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What Legal Strategies Help Protect Generational Wealth During High-Value Divorce Cases?

For many high net worth families, wealth is not viewed as purely personal. It is often understood as something custodial - assets preserved across generations, built through decades of entrepreneurship, investment, land ownership, or family business growth, and intended to...
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Military Divorce in the UK Explained

A divorce involving a serving member of the British Armed Forces is, on the surface, a divorce like any other. The same Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 applies. The same no-fault procedure introduced in April 2022 governs the legal end of the marriage. The court still divides...
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How Do Courts Approach Divorce Where Assets Span Multiple Jurisdictions? (2026)

Divorce proceedings involving assets across multiple jurisdictions can present additional layers of complexity beyond those seen in purely domestic cases. Where wealth is held internationally, questions may arise not only about value and ownership, but also about jurisdiction,...
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Power Imbalances in Divorce: What You Can Do About It

Divorce is rarely a negotiation between equals. In almost every case, one party holds more power than the other - whether that power is financial, emotional, informational, or some combination of all three. The spouse who controls the family finances, who has greater access to...
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Protecting High-Value Assets During a Divorce

When a marriage involving significant wealth breaks down, the process of dividing assets becomes one of the most intricate and sensitive aspects of the proceedings.  High-net-worth individuals often hold wealth in complex forms — private companies, trusts,...
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Protecting Inherited Wealth During Divorce: Legal Strategies for HNW Families

Inherited wealth occupies an unusual position in English divorce law. It is recognised as different from wealth generated during the marriage, yet it is not automatically excluded from division. The distinction between matrimonial and non-matrimonial property, established...
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Protecting Trade Secrets During Divorce Proceedings

For business owners, entrepreneurs, and senior executives, divorce proceedings can create concerns that extend beyond personal finances. In addition to addressing the division of assets, some individuals worry about how sensitive business information may be disclosed,...
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Quanto Costa Un Divorzio In Italia?

Stabilire in anticipo quanto costa un divorzio in Italia non è semplice, perché la spesa complessiva dipende da una serie di variabili che cambiano radicalmente da caso a caso. Un divorzio consensuale tra due coniugi senza patrimoni rilevanti e senza figli...
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10 Essential Questions to Discuss with Your Divorce Solicitor Regarding Prenuptial Agreements (2026 Edition)

A prenuptial agreement can play an important role in clarifying financial arrangements, particularly where there are substantial assets, family wealth, or international connections. However, understanding the legal framework and practical limitations of such agreements is...
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The Role Of Financial Experts In High-Value Divorce Litigation

In a straightforward divorce, the financial picture is relatively simple: a house, a pension or two, some savings, perhaps a modest investment. In high-value cases, the picture is different in kind, not just in scale. The assets under consideration may include private...
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The Role of Hedge Funds in High-Net-Worth Divorce

For many high-net-worth individuals, hedge funds form an important part of their overall investment strategy. These sophisticated investment vehicles can offer diversification, access to specialist markets, and the potential for significant returns. However, when divorce...
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The Role of Mediation in High-Net-Worth Divorce

Mediation has a reputation problem in high-net-worth circles. It is sometimes assumed to be the option of choice for couples without much to fight about, with the implication that wealthy or complex separations require the heavier machinery of court proceedings to resolve. The...
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Separazione Consensuale: Come Funziona?

Quando un matrimonio arriva al capolinea, la separazione consensuale rappresenta il percorso più rapido, meno costoso e meno conflittuale per formalizzare la fine della convivenza coniugale. A differenza della separazione giudiziale, che richiede l'intervento...
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Key Differences Between Short, Medium, and Long Marriages in Financial Settlements (2026)

The length of a marriage is a significant factor in financial settlement decisions following divorce in England and Wales. While there is no rigid classification system set out in legislation, courts frequently distinguish between short, medium, and long marriages when...
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Should You Settle or Litigate Your High-Asset Divorce?

When a marriage breaks down and substantial assets are at stake, one of the earliest and most consequential decisions is whether to reach a negotiated settlement or take the matter to court. Neither route is inherently superior. The right answer depends on the specific...
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Reasons You Need to Hire a Family Lawyer

Most people meet a family lawyer for the first time when something has already gone wrong. A marriage is unravelling. A custody arrangement has collapsed. A spouse has been served with papers and has eight working days to respond. By that point, the most consequential...
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Recognising Manipulation Tactics During Your Divorce

Divorce brings out the best in some people and the worst in others. When a marriage ends, the structures that previously governed the relationship - shared goals, mutual consideration, social accountability - dissolve, and some individuals respond by resorting to manipulation...
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Removing A Spouse From The Mortgage In A Divorce

One of the most common assumptions in divorce is that the financial settlement will cleanly resolve the question of the family home. In many cases it does, in principle. The court orders that one spouse retains the property and the other's interest is transferred. What the...
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Renting Vs Buying After Divorce: Housing Options Post-Divorce

Few decisions after divorce carry as much practical and emotional weight as where you are going to live. The family home is often the most valuable asset in the settlement, and what happens to it - whether it is sold, transferred, or retained - shapes the housing options...
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The Role of Expert Witnesses in Divorce

Divorce proceedings can involve far more than the legal question of whether a marriage has broken down. In many cases, particularly those involving complex finances or disputes over valuation, the court may require specialist input to reach a fair outcome. This is where expert...
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The Role of Forensic Accountants in Divorce

Divorce proceedings involving complex or substantial finances often raise questions that extend beyond legal interpretation. Where income structures are opaque, assets are disputed, or financial disclosure is contested, specialist financial analysis may be required to assist...
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A Guide to Spousal Maintenance in High-Income and High-Net-Worth Cases (2026)

Spousal maintenance is often one of the most sensitive and contested issues in divorce proceedings, particularly in high-income and high-net-worth (HNW) cases. Where substantial earnings, complex remuneration structures, or significant lifestyle expectations are involved,...
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The Divorce Process: A Step-by-Step Guide

a step-by-step guide to no-fault divorce Following the introduction of no-fault divorce in April 2022, the divorce process in England and Wales is relatively straightforward and simple. It involves 8 key steps, starting with assessing your eligibility to divorce in England...
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Strategic Timing in Divorce Filings

Deciding to divorce is rarely a decision made overnight. For many individuals, the process involves careful consideration of personal, financial, and family circumstances long before formal proceedings begin. One question that frequently arises is whether timing matters...
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How Can Financial Settlements Be Structured to Withstand Future Challenges? (2026)

In high-value and complex divorce proceedings, reaching a financial settlement is often only part of the task. Consideration may also need to be given to whether a settlement is capable of withstanding future challenges, changes in circumstances, or practical difficulties in...
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The 3 C's of Divorce

Divorce, even when both parties agree it is the right decision, rarely unfolds simply. The emotional weight of a marriage ending, combined with the legal and financial complexity of separating two lives, creates conditions in which good decisions are difficult to make....
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The Impact of CEO Divorce on Shareholders

When a chief executive officer announces a divorce, the news is usually treated as a private matter. The focus tends to be on the personal circumstances of the executive and their family rather than the company they lead. For shareholders, however, a CEO divorce may have...
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The Role of Forensic Accountants in Complex Divorce Cases

A forensic accountant in a divorce context is a specialist qualified to investigate, value, and analyse complex financial information for use in legal proceedings. In high-net-worth divorce, forensic accountants are routinely instructed to value businesses, trace concealed...
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9 Ways Divorce Can Impact Your Finances

The financial picture after a divorce rarely looks like the financial picture before it. This is not a moral observation; it is a structural one. Two households cost more to run than one. Pension provision built up over a marriage now has to support two retirements. Tax...
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What Business Owners Should Look for in a Divorce Solicitor

Divorce is complicated for anyone. For a business owner, it can be a different category of problem entirely. The moment a marriage begins to dissolve, so too does the assumed separateness of the business from the matrimonial estate, and every decision made in the first weeks...
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What Defines an Exceptional Divorce Lawyer (The Ultimate 2026 Guide)

Divorce is among the most significant legal processes an individual may experience. When the circumstances involve substantial wealth, complex financial arrangements, international elements, or reputational concerns, the solicitor’s role becomes multifaceted. The right...
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What Happens to Deferred Equity and Unvested Options When Divorce Is Filed Mid-Cycle?

Modern executive remuneration is increasingly complex. For many senior executives, entrepreneurs, private equity professionals, and listed company directors, salary forms only a small part of their overall compensation package. The real value often lies in deferred equity...
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What Happens When Assets are Commingled in a High Net Worth Divorce?

In high net worth divorces, one of the more complex financial issues that can arise is the commingling of assets. While some assets may have originally belonged to one spouse before the marriage or been acquired through inheritance or gifting, their status can become less...
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What Happens When Divorce Mediation Fails?

Divorce mediation is widely encouraged in England and Wales as a constructive means of resolving financial and child-related disputes. It offers separating couples the opportunity to reach agreement in a structured but non-adversarial setting, often with greater flexibility...
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What Happens When a Spouse Dies During a Divorce?

A marriage ends, in legal terms, on the date the final order of divorce is made. Before that date, the marriage continues to exist for all legal purposes, regardless of how separated the spouses may be in practice or how advanced the divorce proceedings have become. This is...
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Valuing Startups During Divorce Proceedings

Valuing an established business in divorce proceedings is difficult enough. Valuing a startup - a company that may have minimal revenue, no profit, unproven technology, and a valuation built largely on future potential - presents an entirely different order of challenge. The...
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What Happens When You Can't Agree On Divorce Finances?

Most divorces hit the same wall at roughly the same point. The procedural divorce itself, since the introduction of no-fault provisions in April 2022, is largely administrative. The financial settlement is where the disagreement lives, and where it remains, sometimes for many...
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What Makes High Net Worth Divorce Different from a Regular One?

Divorce is never purely administrative. Even in relatively straightforward cases, the emotional and financial implications can be considerable. However, when substantial wealth is involved, the legal and practical landscape often becomes markedly more complex. High net worth...
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What Strategic Factors Determine Outcomes in Complex Child Arrangement Proceedings?

When parents become involved in child arrangements proceedings, it is natural to focus on the immediate disagreement. Who will the child live with? How much time will they spend with each parent? Which school should they attend? Should relocation be permitted? Yet in...
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What to Look for in a Child Law Solicitor for Complex High-Net-Worth Family Disputes

When children become involved in family disputes, the stakes are already high. When those disputes unfold against a backdrop of substantial wealth, international connections, family businesses, reputation concerns, or public scrutiny, the complexity increases significantly....
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When Influencer Income Meets Divorce

For most of modern family law, the financial landscape of divorce was relatively familiar. Solicitors, valuers, and courts dealt with salaries, bonuses, property portfolios, pensions, businesses, and investment accounts. While the scale of wealth varied, the categories of...
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When Should You Instruct a Specialist Child Lawyer for International Relocation Disputes?

In international relocation disputes, timing can be just as important as the legal arguments themselves. Many parents assume they only need legal advice once a formal disagreement has emerged or court proceedings appear inevitable. In reality, some of the most important...
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What Happens When Spouses Disagree About a Home’s Value?

For many couples, the family home is one of the most valuable assets involved in a divorce. It can also carry significant emotional value, which may make discussions about its worth particularly difficult. When spouses disagree about what a property is worth, that disagreement...
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When Should You Instruct a Specialist High Net Worth Divorce Solicitor?

The answer is almost always: earlier than you think. One of the most common mistakes in high-value divorces is treating the appointment of specialist legal representation as something to be done once proceedings are inevitable. By that point, critical decisions may already...
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When to Settle and When to Fight in Your Divorce

One of the most important strategic decisions in any divorce is determining which disputes are worth pursuing and which are better resolved through agreement. Popular culture often presents divorce as a choice between compromise and conflict. In reality, the decision is...
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Why Disclosure Strategy Is Critical in High-Asset Divorce Cases Involving Private Business Interests?

In high-asset divorce cases, private business interests are often the most valuable and most contested component of the matrimonial estate. Unlike cash, property, or publicly traded investments, private companies do not come with a clear market price. Their value may...
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Why Jurisdiction Timing Can Influence High-Value Divorce Outcomes

In international high net worth divorces, timing can determine far more than the pace of proceedings. It can shape the entire financial outcome of the case. A delay of weeks, days, or even hours may influence where the divorce is heard, which legal system applies, how...
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Why Postnuptial Agreements Are Gaining Popularity

For years, prenuptial agreements dominated the conversation around marital financial planning. Postnuptial agreements - their less discussed counterpart, entered into after the wedding rather than before it - remained a niche product, typically associated with couples...
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Why Privacy Is One of the Most Valuable Assets in Divorce

Divorce is often framed in financial terms: the division of property, the allocation of income and the restructuring of long-term security. Yet for many individuals, particularly those of substantial means or public prominence, privacy may be as valuable as any tangible asset....
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Why Timing Matters in Prenuptial Agreements

A prenuptial agreement signed the night before a wedding is, in practical terms, barely worth the paper it is printed on. English courts have made this abundantly clear. But it is easy to see how timing slips away from couples - the engagement period is busy, the conversation...
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Would A Shareholder Agreement Affect The Divorce Settlement?

For business owners, company shares are often among the most valuable assets involved in a divorce. However, unlike personal savings or property, shares in a private company are frequently subject to restrictions contained within a shareholder agreement. When divorce...
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Why Rational People Make Irrational Divorce Decisions

You've spent your career making sound decisions under pressure. You analyse data, weigh risks, manage complexity, and exercise judgement that others depend on. And then you enter a divorce, and every instinct that served you well in the boardroom seems to abandon you. You...
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The information on this website is intended as a guide and does not constitute legal advice. Vardags do not accept liability for any errors in the information on this website, nor any losses stemming from reliance upon the statements made herein. All articles and pages aim to reflect the legal position at time they were published, and may have been rendered obsolete by subsequent developments in the law. Should you require specialist advice, tailored to your situation, please see how Vardags can help you.

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