How Do I Start Divorce Proceedings?

A divorce can be started provided you have been married for at least one year. A divorce petition is prepared and submitted to the court. The other party then receives an acknowledgment form. You can then proceed to the Conditional Order stage (formally Decree Nisi) and, after waiting six weeks and one day, you can then apply for the Final Divorce Order (formally Decree Absolute).

In order for you to obtain a divorce, we will guide you through the procedure on the basis your marriage has irretrievably broken down.

There are some circumstances when it may be appropriate to avoid applying for a final divorce order, particularly if your spouse has a pension.

If you are considering divorce we will help you complete the paperwork. Initially you will need to produce your original marriage certificate or a certified copy available from your place of marriage for a small fee.

There will be a court fee payable of £593 when your petition is issued, provided your case remains straight forward, we can offer a fixed fee of £440 plus VAT.

Alternatively, you can start the process yourself via the HMCTS online portal on the .Gov website.

However, if your case is more complex, we will work with you to agree what is best for your circumstances based on our hourly rates.

Find out more information

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Rachel Stead

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Can’t recommend Catteralls enough. Eleanor, Claire and her team have just helped us with a recent house sale. They were quick and efficient with responses. Even with me ringing and emailing plenty (very annoying) but nothing was too much for them. They did all things on our side promptly and kept us in the loop at all times. Will be recommending them and using again in future if needed.Thanks so much.Rachel and Harry.

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17:20 04 Nov 23

Good service at a reasonable price

Andrew Elsby

07:30 16 Oct 23

Personal touch. Well organised and knowledgeable.

Allison Robinson

13:53 02 Oct 23

We used Catterall's for the sale of a property and had excellent service throughout. Everything was done promptly, efficiently and accurately. We had experienced lots of errors with a previous firm and saw a marked contrast in the quality of service and professionalism from Catteralls. Danielle and Sue were knowledgable and helpful and were able to answer questions about the errors from the purchase of the property with a different firm so that we could move forwards quickly with the sale. Prices were reasonable and competitive but I would choose the firm again regardless of price because of the experience. It is the second time we have used the firm (previously for a different purchase) and I can highly recommend them.

gedlaing

08:59 17 Sep 23

My wife and I engaged Catteralls Solicitors conveyancing services to both sell our old house and to buy our new house. We can thoroughly recommend their services in this regard. In particular we would like to give excellent feedback to Ms Eleanor Parkin, our Conveyancing Executive at Catteralls, who dealt with us throughout the buying and selling process. Some aspects of that process became problematic but Eleanor went above and beyond that which was expected of her and ensured that any problems were resolved effectively and efficiently to ensure a smooth completion. Our engagement with her was always friendly and professional and we would be happy to recommend her professional services to others. Thank you, Eleanor!

Caroline Wilson

13:13 25 Jul 23

Thank you Catteralls for helping us with our recent house sale!! I will certainly recommend you to family and friends.Catteralls would be the first solicitor I came to if I needed any help in the future! Thanks again for everything. Fantastic communication, making a hard time in our lives that much easier. I can not fault a thing.☺️

Choozers

22:51 17 Jun 23

I've used these for the sale of a rental property and my will and am also currently using them for a purchase of a residential property. Used them because my usual solicitors let me down. I can't comment on price because I didn't really shop around. A family member recommended them, and they've been good for me so far. Here, I've never felt like I haven't been able to speak to someone when I've needed to and they've always been on hand to explain anything I didn't understand. So far so good.

Kevin Slattery

09:53 08 Jun 23

Jenny and her team, saved the day after our sale and purchase almost fell through due to the poor performance of our previous solicitor. She was responsive, highly efficient and keep us informed throughout the whole process. We would only use Catteralls for any future conveyancing requirements. Many thanks Jenny, Sarah and the rest of the team!

Rachel

14:24 09 Mar 23

Jess looked after my case. It was most helpful in that I was able to do everything via email, so all I had to do on the day was sign some paperwork, therefore only needing to make the one visit, which was perfect for me.Jess was efficient & organised and made the process a smooth one.Thanks Jess I appreciate all you did for me. 🙂

Aneka Randall

17:04 09 Dec 22

Paul and his team have worked on our sale and purchase. The team have all worked extremely hard, going above an beyond. Everyone in the chain has commented how efficient they have been. I will certainly recommend to family and friends and would be the first solicitor I came to if I needed any help in the future! Thanks again.

Jade Nutt

20:07 02 Nov 22

Jenny and her team were brilliant with our house sale and purchase. They answered all our queries, made sure we understood everything and kept things moving along. We are very great full for your hard work! Thank you!

How Do I Start Divorce Proceedings?

Articles we've written about Family Law & Divorce

Beware the DIY Divorce

Top 5 pitfalls that divorcing couples make

Help, my spouse wants a divorce. What can I do?

No fault divorce. Ending the blame game.

Preparing for your first meeting with a family solicitor

Other questions we get asked about Family Law & Divorce

Do I Need A Family Solicitor?

How Long Does A Divorce Take?

Where Will The Children Live?

We Are Not Married. Does That Make A Difference?

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How Much Will Divorce Cost?