FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

The court will always expect you to make an effort to locate your spouse before starting divorce proceedings.  Sometimes, this may involve some social media digging or contacting your spouse’s family or friends to obtain an address.  We appreciate that this is not always possible so you may need to appoint a ‘no trace, no fee’ process server to locate your spouse.

If you have exhausted every avenue trying to locate your spouse, we can apply to the court on your behalf and ask them to dispense with service.  Please note that this is an additional application for which we charge £150.

Yes, however, if you have chosen one of our managed divorces with a clean break or consent order, we cannot draft the order until both of you are in full agreement.

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Ideally, yes.  It is possible to start divorce proceedings without an agreement on living arrangements for the children, however, this can lead to arguments as the divorce progresses. 

If you are using a traditional paper application, you will need to complete an EX160 form. In the case of online application, you will need to apply for an exemption online and obtain a ‘Help with Fees’ (HWF) reference code.

Both the form and online application can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-help-with-court-and-tribunal-fees

The online application is much quicker.  If you are applying for an exemption with a traditional paper application, you should factor in the likely delay of several weeks.

There is often very little we can do to hurry the court along when it comes to decisions regarding court fees.  Sometimes, applicants can find the money from family or friends to pay the fees up front AND recover it from the court at a later date.  Please bear in mind that you have  a maximum of 3 months after the date of the final order to request a fee refund.

There is only one ground for divorce - the irretrievable breakdown of your marriage.

You will need a certified translation of your marriage certificate.  We have a list of approved court translators that we can appoint on your behalf.  Normally, a professional translator will provide a translated certificate within 72 hours.

We can assist you with obtaining a replacement or you may want to contact your local Registry Office.  Replacement certificates normally take between 48 hours and 2 weeks depending on whether you use a private firm or your Local Registry to obtain the replacement certificate.  The cost of using a private firm varies depending on how quickly you want your replacement certificate.

All of our services require good communication within an amicable situation. If the respondent does not reply to the divorce application we would request you seek legal advice and help to progress

Provided you live in England and Wales, it is rarely a problem.  Of course, you will need your spouse’s foreign residential address for the purpose of serving the divorce application.

If you do not know the address, it is possible to appoint an international trace agent/process server to find out where your spouse currently lives.  The cost and time varies from country to country although we have a list of approved process servers and can discuss this with you should the need arise.