I was just wondering if anyone has done one and if it’s simple? Me and my wife have been separated for over two years and all finances have been settled. I just want to dissolve the marriage bit.

Very simple. It’s 11 years since I did it so I can’t really remember the details, but me and the ex sorted everything amicably with no solicitors and I do remember it being surprisingly straightforward. You just have to get some forms from your local court, fill em in, pay a fee and then wait for it all to be finalised.

I`m in the process of sorting mine out. Most of the court forms are downloadable online.

Wikivorce website is a great resource for DIy divorce if you haven`t yet found it.

To date mine has cost me £340 in court fees and £300 in solicitors.

If you wife is being amicable and you have most of the finances sorted then, you`ll be OK.

Beware of solicitors though.I need to get a consnet order drawn up and evn though I`d said ours was amicable and had been mostly decided on mutually they will have you questioning your decisions and seem hellbent on putting you on the course of financial ruin!

Feel free to ask anything if I can help.

The divorce bit is pretty straightforward. Its the Consent order (financial) that will need a soliciter to draft up.

Mind you you dont actually “need” a consent order, but its the financial clean break. Without it ex can come after you for lottery winnings, inheritance etc etc anytime in the future.

My Wife did it when she met me…
(Well, what woman wouldnt…) 🙂

Ok, ok..she had been split from him for a few years.
Very easy to do, as said. Download some forms, pay a fee & wait.
If your both in agreement dont need to go near a solicitor.

Yeah, must admit we didn’t bother with the financial ‘clean break’ agreement as neither of us actually had any money and we didn’t have kids – I assume that can complicate things a little.

Divorce bit is easy. Worth getting something in writing with solicitor for both parties to say finances are sorted and neither owe the other anything.

id used on a few years back it was very easy as we had nothing to argue about / split / share / kid and the like. quick and cheap i was a bit aprehensive to try but at the price it was i figured it was worth the risk

If you have kids the maintenance bit can be done by agreement and you needn`t use the csa though I use their on line calculator to determine what I should pay.

Consent order not striclty needed but as said you leave yourself open should circumstances change in the future and she decides she wants more money.

The bit up to decree nisi is easy. You merely have to state that you both consent to getting divorced and you can cite 2 years separation as the reason.

This is where I am up to now, just waiting for the judge to declare Decree Nisi, which means in principle they accept yhat you can go ahead .

Then the next stage is to get Decree absolute where you have to make financial disclosure regarding your assets,how they were split and maintenance arragnements for the kids and spousal maintenance.(If any)
Presume that if you have been apart for more than 2 years you have a sort of unwritten agreement on this anyway? In which case you might want a solicitor to formalise it as a consent order. Once the judge is happy that your wife isnt going to be left destitute thats it.

Lots of solicitors offer a free half hour,for a donation to a charity of their choice if you just want to get some guidelines,though as said before the wikivorce site is invaluable.

Yeah, it was easy when I did it 10 yrs ago. As above, beware the solicitors. I had to get something signed under oath, ie in the presence of a solicitor, he tried to get me questioning things that were all sorted amicably and would have happily got me into the divorce money pit of ill feelings.

Confused by the financial consent part. On mine it basically said that this was final (decree nisi) and to get to that stage you had agreed the financial part.

Neither party can then go after the other for monies or gained earned after this stage. How would they possibly have any entitlement to it?

The above seems reasonable. It’s how I divorced my missus…..

On mine it basically said that this was final (decree nisi) and to get to that stage you had agreed the financial part.

Wrong. TRhe Decree Nisi is to do with the divorce. You can quite happily get divorced without the Consent Form (the finiancial break) but as said before you do leave yourself open to future claims. If your happy with the arrangement then just go for the divorce.

Thanks for all the replies. I’ve lived in Canada for 5 years and came back to the UK in December 2011. We were mortgage free with no loans etc. Basically what I did when we separated two years ago was to give her everything. We sold the house and she had all the money from that and the car, furniture etc etc. All I came out of it with is the bill for the separation agreement which includes support for our son. It was drawn up in Canada and is all above board and legal.

So by the sounds of it I can just do the divorce bit myself. I’ve got all the forms etc.

I’m thinking of going back to Canada and I’ve already lost my shirt over there with the separation agreement so I’m thinking of getting this sorted out over here while I’m still here.

use these people click me

i did and it was very straight forward

Beware of solicitors though.I need to get a consnet order drawn up and evn though I`d said ours was amicable and had been mostly decided on mutually they will have you questioning your decisions and seem hellbent on putting you on the course of financial ruin!

This.

Me and my ex were amicable right up to the point she hired a solicitor and then fvcked me over. The solicitor’s advice to her was unfair, unhelpful and fundamentally wrong. They (solicitors) just want to create as much fuss and expense as possible.

Thanks for all the advice. I’m going to get the forms filled out and start it next week. Lucky we have already got the financial stuff done and in a legal agreement. Hey I’ve got nothing else to give, she had it all. I suppose she could have all the rest of my shirts if she wants. 😀