how do i apply for divorce?

Step 2

Once the petition has been sent to the court, a copy will be sent on to the other partner (known as the Respondent). The Respondent will also receive an Acknowledgement of Service Form which needs to be completed and returned to the court, so divorce proceedings can begin (the Respondent will have to do this within 7 days of receiving the petition).

The Respondent will need to explain whether they agree or disagree with the divorce. Although rare, Respondents do occasionally defend the divorce, which can lead to elongated periods in court and extensive legal fees.

Step 3

If the petition has been received and agreed upon by the Respondent, the next step is to obtain the Decree Nisi.

The Decree Nisi is the first official step in the divorce process, and can only be applied for by the Petitioner.

To do this, the Petitioner will need to submit an application along with a supporting statement confirming the validity of the details in the application.

These documents will then be sent to the court for approval. At this point, the court will need to agree with the terms and reasons for the marriage ending. Once this is confirmed, the Petitioner will receive a Certificate of Entitlement to a Decree Nisi.

Step 4

The next step when you apply for divorce is when the Decree Nisi is granted. Both the Petitioner and the Respondent will receive a court order confirming this.

There will also be a costs order which confirms who will be financially responsible for the divorce costs. Both the Petitioner and the Respondent can go to court to decide who should be liable for which costs.

6 weeks and 1 day after the Decree Nisi has been granted, the Petitioner can apply for a Notice of Application for Decree Nisi to be made Decree Absolute.

Step 5

The final step when you apply for divorce is when the court pronounces the Decree Absolute. After this point, your divorce is legally finalised, and you can start thinking about what comes next.