Divorce and separation

Going through a divorce can be stressful, both for the parties to the marriage and the wider family unit.

Divorce is something no one in a marriage wants to think about. But if your relationship reaches that point, it's essential that you get the right legal support to help you get through what can be a complicated and stressful process.

We're proud to have a leading UK divorce law team, with colleagues who played a key role in the introduction of the new no-fault divorce laws to the UK in 2022. Our divorce lawyers have extensive experience working with clients from a variety of backgrounds at a local, national, and international level.

Divorce is an unfamiliar, unsettling, and upsetting process for most people. Our job is to provide you with a legal package to see you through that process so you can move on with life.

  • Award-winning divorce services
  • 91% client satisfaction
  • Extensive industry recognition
  • Offices across England

What is divorce law?

Divorce law is the legal process that ends a marriage or civil partnership (strictly speaking, the process is called "dissolution" for civil partnerships). Divorce can be complex and will often involve issues beyond the separation of the relationship itself, including child arrangements and division of property and finances. It can also be a tough process due to the often emotional nature of the breakdown of a relationship.

Divorce law in the UK has changed thanks to the introduction of no-fault divorce in April 2022. No fault divorce means you no longer need to blame each other for ending a relationship. Instead, you can simply state that there has been an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. This has streamlined the divorce process to some degree, but it remains a complicated legal procedure.

Divorce affects a lot of people, with 23% of marriages in 2017 being predicted to get divorced in the first 15 years of marriage. Our divorce lawyers have a huge amount of experience and expertise in handling cases for people from all sorts of backgrounds. The way we operate is always the same, no matter who we're working with. We work hard to get you the right legal result while managing the process with sensitivity, integrity, and compassion.

If you need legal help with a divorce, you can get started by contacting us today.

What services do our divorce solicitors offer?

We're here to make your divorce as straightforward as possible. A specialist divorce lawyer can explain what it means and your role in the process as an applicant, joint applicant, or respondent.

We'll help you understand the impact on your family home, income, pensions, and children. We'll also point you towards other professional advice that you might need, such as tax, financial planning, and estate planning.

The divorce law services we offer include:

Separate well. Together.

Divorce is can be a difficult process, but there are better ways to separate if it's possible to work together. We understand that when divorcing, sorting out the finances and children arrangements can be challenging. This is why we take an innovative approach to divorce law that prioritises reducing conflict wherever possible. This makes the process as smooth as it can be and, most importantly, limits potential harm to those impacted by the divorce such as children.

We offer four key services to help you separate well, all of which offer constructive, collaborative, and settlement-focused legal solutions:

Contact us today to find out more about how these services could help your divorce process move smoother, more amicably and help you reach the best outcome for you and your family.

What our clients say about us?

“A regional superpower, Mills & Reeve is very effective in high-value divorce cases with complex financial elements, the client care is second to none and it continues to provide an amazing Rolls Royce service.”

Legal 500

“Couldn't fault the service, especially the promptness of dealing with emails and fitting us in last minute for appointments. ”

A client

“Mills & Reeve LLP fields a team that provides absolutely first -rate service.”

Legal 500

No fault divorce experts

We're experts in the recent legislation changes surrounding no fault divorce, having played a key role in its introduction following the Supreme Court case of Owens vs Owens.

We're long-time supporters of Resolution - a national organisation of family professionals committed to the constructive resolution of family disputes. Resolution spearheaded the campaign for no fault divorce for decades and we supported them. We're proud to say we represented Resolution when they were given permission to intervene in the Supreme Court of Owens vs Owens. Owens v Owens was the catalyst that eventually led to no fault divorce becoming law in the UK on 6 April 2022.

Caitlin Jenkins (@FamilyLawVlogger) and Nigel Shepherd provide more background on how the changes came into effect in the video below, which was recorded in April 2022.

Get in touch

Our team of legal experts are here to support you.
Contact one of our lawyers today.

Our divorce lawyers

Part of our family law team, our divorce lawyers are renowned across the UK for their expertise, compassion, and proven track record for success. We'll get to grips with your situation and work to find a resolution that suits you.

Who do we work for?

We're divorce solicitors who are proud to work with a huge range of clients from a variety of backgrounds, including:

  • Business owners, entrepreneurs and their partners
  • Farming families
  • High net worth and ultra-high net worth families
  • International families
  • Medical professionals
  • Professional and family trustees
  • People with a high profile in the entertainment industry
  • Senior management and other professionals
  • Sports people

Why choose Mills & Reeve family solicitors?

We know how complicated, stressful, and emotionally draining divorce can be. We also know how valuable it is for you to work with a team that takes the time to understand your unique circumstances and offers tailored legal solutions to give you the best outcome.

We're proud to have one of the UK's leading divorce law teams. Here are just a few reasons why you can trust us to be your divorce solicitors:

Resources

Explaining family law podcast

Facing a family law issue and not sure what's involved? Our podcast is the right place to start.

Family and children blog

Our family and children law blog provides practical advice and insight on a wide range of topics by our family and children lawyers.

Navigating separation survey

Explore key findings from our YouGov survey on married individuals' views on family law issues and dispute resolution.

Divorce FAQs

You can get divorced in England or Wales if all of the following are true of your situation:

  • You've been married for at least a year
  • Your relationship has permanently broken down
  • Your marriage is legally recognised in the UK

To get divorced, there are three key steps:

  1. Completing and submitting a divorce application either as a sole or joint applicant(s)
  2. Applying for a 'conditional order' or 'decree nisi' (a provisional certificate declaring that the divorce can proceed)
  3. Finalising your divorce by applying for a 'final order' or 'decree absolute'

Once the three steps above are completed, you will be legally divorced. But this is only one part of the process. You'll still need to settle the financial relationship and child arrangements (if applicable) between you and your ex. This should be done at the same time as the divorce proceedings.

If you are considering a divorce or an application has already been made, you need to understand:

  • The cost of divorce, including the court fee for the application, and your options for dealing with this
  • The timescales for a divorce
  • What each stage of the divorce means and how that impacts other financial matters
  • The rights you may give up when the divorce is made final

Since April 2022, a divorce under the no-fault divorce system takes a minimum of 26 weeks to complete. You can only apply for a conditional order 20 weeks after the other party has acknowledged the divorce, and you'll need to wait a further six weeks after the conditional order to apply for the final order. However, most divorces take around 8-12 months to conclude, as you and your ex should resolve your financial matters before the divorce is made final.

We can't tell you how much your divorce will cost because every case and set of circumstances are different. However, what we can guarantee is, whatever your requirements, we'll always look to produce the best value solution for you.

If you'd like a better idea of how much things could cost, make an enquiry with our team.

There are specific circumstances where it can work for both parties to use the same lawyer, such as splitting on good terms. We're one of the few divorce law firms in the UK to offer a service that allows us to act for both you and your partner.

The service is called ‘separate well with one lawyer’ and offers a less confrontational, more collaborative method of divorce that carries a number of benefits.

No - there are several ways to settle matters relating to your divorce, such as child arrangements and finances, without taking things to court:

These methods focus on reducing conflict wherever possible. They generally provide several benefits over standard court proceedings, including:

  • Quicker processes
  • Lower costs compared to taking your dispute through court (in some cases)
  • Ability to tailor the process to your circumstances
  • More control over proceedings
  • More confidentiality
  • Less stress and acrimony

Divorce does not have any say in what happens to the children. Like finances, arrangements for your children will need to be dealt with separately.