Since May 2018, individuals but not solicitors, have been able to issue divorce petitions online, and 40% of divorce petitions are now issued online. However, recent Ministry of Justice data shows that petitions issued online are less likely to result in a Decree Absolute and those that do take longer than those issued in the post. The Decree Absolute is the formal legal document which ends your marriage.

Between July and September 2018, 7% fewer petitions which were issued online proceeded to a Decree Absolute compared with those issued in the post.

Petitions issued in the post between October and December 2018 also reached the Decree Absolute stage before those issued online as 30% of petitions issued in the post had reached this stage compared to 12% of those issued online at the same time.

Whilst it may seem that completing your own divorce petition online is the simpler option, it may be helpful to take legal advice in relation to your particular circumstances to ensure that divorce proceedings are issued correctly and based on the correct grounds. It may also mean that your divorce is finalised sooner if your solicitor issues the application by post.

If you would like further information in respect of the procedure or the initial steps that need to be taken George Green’s specialist Divorce Solicitors would be more than happy to assist.

For further information or if you wish to discuss your matter with our family law solicitors in a free initial telephone consultation call Mark Vandaele on 01902 796930 (mvandaele@georgegreen.co.uk) at our Wolverhampton office or Rachel Baker on 01384 340 580 (rbaker@georgegreen.co.uk) at our Cradley Heath office.