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On 6 April 2022, there was a significant change in divorce law for England and Wales. It's the first change for 50 years. The changes mean that instead of needing to prove the other party is at fault, there is now no requirement to assign fault when filing for divorce. Moreover, it's a completely digital process.
Apr 4, 2022 · Replaced divorce email address with a link to the new online contact form on all documents. 28 July 2023. Added new help information to the guides. 30 December 2022. Added archive case guide. 21 ...
- HM Courts & Tribunals Service
Apr 6, 2022 · 103,592 couples divorced in England and Wales in 2020. Approximately a third of marriages end in divorce, based on all unions between 1964 and 2019. Divorce rates have been declining for 10 years ...
This guide is for you if you are facing the end of your marriage or civil partnership. We want to help you find your way through the maze with as little stress and upset as possible. You might have heard about a new 'no-fault' divorce option. This became law in 2022. Now you can apply for a 'no-fault' divorce online, via a digital service. This guide explains how the new processes for divorce ...
- Overview
- How to respond
- If you agree with the divorce
- If you disagree with (‘dispute’) the divorce
- Start your own divorce proceedings
- If your husband or wife does not finalise the divorce
If your husband or wife has started divorce proceedings against you, the divorce centre will send you a copy of their divorce application (sometimes called a divorce ‘petition’).
You’ll also get the following documents online or by post:
Responding online
Respond online if your notice of proceedings has an access code. You’ll need to create an account. You must respond within 14 days of getting the notice of proceedings. You cannot respond online if you have a solicitor representing you. Respond online
Responding by post
You must respond by post if: your notice of proceedings does not have an access code you are represented by a solicitor You need to post back the acknowledgment of service form. You must respond within: 7 days of getting the notice of proceedings, if the court issued your divorce application before 6 April 2022 14 days of getting the notice of proceedings, if the court issued your divorce application on or after 6 April 2022
If you do not respond in time
Your husband or wife might still be able to continue with the divorce if the court decides that you received the application. The court might deliver the papers personally to you so that there’s proof you’ve received them. You might have to pay the cost of this. Contact the divorce centre or get legal advice if you’re not sure.
The divorce will go ahead. Your husband or wife will apply for a legal document (a ‘conditional order’ or a ‘decree nisi) to end the marriage. Then they must apply for a ‘final order’ or ‘decree absolute’ to finalise the divorce.
After you respond, you must also fill in a form explaining why you disagree with the divorce.
If the court issued your divorce application:
•before 6 April 2022, fill in an answer to a divorce petition
•on or after 6 April 2022, fill in an answer to a divorce application
You may have to pay a £245 fee, but you might be able to get help paying it.
If your husband or wife applied for a divorce on or after 6 April 2022 you can only dispute the divorce if you have a legal reason. For example, if you live abroad the courts in England and Wales might not be able to deal with your application.
You need permission from the court to start your own divorce after receiving a divorce application, unless the application was issued before 6 April 2022.
If the court issued the divorce application before 6 April 2022, you can start your own divorce. Fill in a divorce application form.
You will have to pay a £593 fee.
You and your husband or wife will usually have to attend a court hearing to try to come to an agreement over the divorce.
If your husband or wife started the divorce, but they have not applied for the legal document that ends the marriage (the ‘final order or ‘decree absolute’), you can apply.
You can only do this if it’s been at least 3 months, 6 weeks and 1 day from when the conditional order or decree nisi was granted.
To apply, fill in an application notice form.
You’ll have to pay a £167 fee and go to a court hearing with your husband or wife.
Jul 19, 2022 · The long-awaited enactments, that pave the way for no fault divorces, have now become law with The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 (DDSA 2020). This guide is only applicable to divorce proceedings started on or after 6th April 2022. The changes apply equally to the dissolution of civil partnerships.
Jul 1, 2024 · Changes to divorce law will come into effect on 6 April 2022, with a new online service being launched to accommodate these changes. The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 aims to reduce conflict by removing the ability to make allegations about a spouse's conduct and allowing couples to end their marriage jointly. It introduces a minimum reflection period of 20 weeks and limits the ...
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