Chamberlins Solicitors Family Services
Relationship Breakdown
We provide a wealth of experience across a range of Family Law services.
How can we help?
Please fill in our form and let us know how we can help or, alternatively, you can contact us on:
Great Yarmouth: 01493 857621
Caister: 01493 720019
Lowestoft: 01502 573241
Beccles: 01502 713131
Divorce or dissolution of civil partnership services
When a marriage or a civil partnership breaks down, it can be very upsetting for all concerned, especially children, and we understand this. We can provide you with initial advice and assist you with all Steps necessary to end the marriage or Civil partnership, if this what you would like, either as the Applicant, who is the person who starts the divorce or the Respondent, who is the person who receives the divorce papers. We will also be able to assist you with any financial issues arising from the relationship breakdown and the arrangements for any children.
You will be able to apply for a divorce or dissolution of civil partnership once you have been married in a civil partnership for at least 12 months. The process is now more straight forward following the introduction of the “no fault” divorce. You will no longer need to give a reason why you would like to end your marriage or civil partnership and you will simply need to tell the court that the marriage has irretrievably broken down. Usually this can be done entirely on paper and there is no need for you to attend court.
The process is started by filing an Application for Divorce with the Family Court and paying the court fee, unless you are eligible for a discount on it. Once issued, the court sends the application to the other party together with a form called Acknowledgement of Service. This needs to be returned within 14 days and lets the court know whether the application will be opposed. There are some circumstances when the divorce can proceed regardless of whether the Acknowledgement of Service has been returned and we can discuss this with you if applicable. You can apply for a Conditional Order, which is the first stage of the divorce or dissolution, 20 weeks after the application has been issued. This allows for a “cooling off’ period so that you and the other party can think about whether you would still like to end the marriage or civil partnership. A Conditional Order does not end the marriage or civil partnership. You can apply for a Final Order, which actually ends the marriage or civil partnership, 6 weeks and 1 day after the Conditional Order is pronounced.
The divorce process usually takes 7 to 9 months where there is cooperation from all involved
Financial issues arising from the divorce or dissolution of civil partnership process
Sometimes when parties go their separate ways there are financial issues which need to be resolved and we try to deal with these issues at the same time as the divorce or dissolution is going through.
Where possible, we try and negotiate with the other person to try and get an agreement with them. If this is not possible, we suggest that you attempt mediation and we will discuss this with you. Ultimately, if you cannot reach an agreement then it may be necessary to apply to the court for an order.
If there are no financial issues which need to be resolved between you or you and the other party have already reached an agreement, we will usually advise you to obtain a Financial Remedy Consent Order from the Family Court to protect both of you moving forward. In most cases, this will ensure that neither one of you will be able to make a financial claim against the other in the future and prevents issues arising in the future.
We are unable to offer a fixed fee for any work we undertake in respect of the financial issues arising from the divorce or civil partnership dissolution. The reason for this is because we often cannot tell at an initial appointment how much work may be involved in resolving your matter or the level of cooperation from the other person. Our time will be charged at hourly rates plus VAT and any disbursements. We will provide you with a cost estimate at the outset of your matter.
Financial issues arising from a relationship breakdown such as property dispute
When a relationship breaks down, it can be very upsetting for all concerned and we understand this. It is important to note that the law treats married couples and civil partners differently to cohabiting couples. “Common law marriage” is a myth, regardless of how long you may have lived together or whether there are children and you will not automatically have a claim against assets owned by the other party, even if it is the home you are living in together.
We can provide you with advice and assistance in this complicated area of law. We are unable to offer a fixed fee for any work we undertake in respect of the financial issues arising from relationships. The reason for this is because we often cannot tell at an initial appointment how much work may be involved in resolving your matter or the level of cooperation from the other person. Our time will be charged at hourly rates plus VAT and any disbursements. We will provide you with a cost estimate at the outset of your matter.
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Contact us
Great Yarmouth: 01493 857621
Beccles: 01502 713131
Lowestoft: 01502 573241
Caister-On-Sea: 01493 720019
OR, email us at info@chamberlins.co.uk
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