A divorce is an order by the court to legally end your marriage.
You can apply for a divorce in England and Wales after 12 months of marriage, issues may arise in respect of habitual residence and domicile. The law provides one basis for a divorce ‘that the marriage has broken down irretrievably’.
The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 introduced a ‘no fault divorce’ in England and Wales.
The Divorce Application can be issued on a ‘sole’ or ‘joint’ basis, if the respondent does not agree to the divorce there are very limited circumstances that a divorce can be defended/ contested.
The court provide a 20 week ‘cooling off period’ from the date the application is issued, to allow reflection. Once 20 weeks have passed you are able to apply for a Conditional Order. Six weeks and one day after the date of the Conditional Order, you can apply for a Final Order. The Final Order is the legal document that bring the marriage to an end.
The divorce process will usually take between 6 to 9 months, it make take longer if there are issues to resolve in terms of finances.