Your price is so much lower than a high street solicitor. What's the catch?

There is no catch.

We quote reasonable prices because:
- we don't have high overheads, such as rent and rates on retail properties.
- we use efficient working practices and the very latest modern technology.
- a high street solicitor may only do a few divorce cases a year, so they have to charge a lot for each one to make a living. We can afford to charge far less.

We do not compromise of the quality of our services, and the solicitors who will manage your divorce are specialists in family law and are more experienced (not less) than most high street solicitors. Most high street firms do a range of services from criminal law to business contracts, conveyancing and personal injury, they are typically not family law specialists.

Are there any hidden extra charges?

No there are no hidden extra charges.

Unlike using a high street solicitor, you do not pay extra each time we send you a letter or each time you call us on the phone. You pay a simple one-off fixed fee.

You do have to pay the standard court fees relevant for the service (see FAQ below).

How much are the court fees?

The standard court fees that you need to pay to Her Majesty's Court Service are as follows:

- For a divorce the court fees are: £340 to submit the petition and £45 to get the Decree Absolute.
- For a consent order the court fee is £45.

These fees are the same whichever provider you get to manage your divorce. The fees must also be paid even if you do the divorce yourself.

If I am on a low income am I exempt from the court fees?

In certain circumstances, individuals may not have to pay the court fee. A system of fee waivers and reductions, known as the Remission Scheme, is available to those who would have difficulty paying a court fee and meet the appropriate criteria. An individual may be eligible for a full remission, where no fee is payable, or a part remission, where a contribution towards the fee is required.

Further details about the Remission Scheme are available on the Court Service website.

How long does it take to get divorced?

We can process your divorce as fast as any other service provider. An uncontested divorce will typically take around 3 months. Despite what you read in the papers - there are no shortcuts you can take to get a 'quickie divorce'.

The reason it takes 3 months is that there is a defined court process to go through. The steps include: preparing the petition, submitting the petition, acknowledgement of service, the court issuing the decree nisi, a mandatory 6 week wait, and finally the court issuing the Decree Absolute.

If you are also getting a consent order then it can be done in parallel to the divorce process, so you can get both completed in around 3 months.

How long does it take to get a consent order?

The consent order process takes around 6 to 8 weeks.

There is a defined court process to go through. The steps include: you both completing a short financial statement, you sending us an email with your agreement in your own words, our solicitors drafting a properly worded consent order, you both signing the consent order, our solicitors sending the consent order and financial statements to court, a judge reviewing and approving the consent order, the court sending you the final approved legally binding consent order.

Do I have to attend court?

No - in general, in the case of uncontested divorce, there is no need for you or your spouse to attend court.

In a very few cases, a judge might ask a couple to attend a very short court hearing so that he can clarify that they both understand and agree with the consent order that they have signed.

What if I do not know where my husband or wife lives now?

It is more difficult to get divorced if you are not in communication with your spouse and do not know where they live. It is still possible, you have to show the court that you have tried to find them, and tried to tell them about the divorce. Once you have done that you can ask the court to go ahead with a divorce without your spouse's involvement. These types of divorces take longer, are more complex and costly so cannot be done at our normal fixed price.

End of FAQ section

One of us (or both of us) lives abroad. Can we still get divorced in England?

You can get divorced in England based on either:

- RESIDENCY: i.e. one of you has lived in England for the last 6 months, OR

- DOMICILE : i.e. one of you regards England as your home country and still has a strong connection with England, e.g holds a UK passport, has property in England, have children/relatives in England, or plan to return to England at some point in the future.

If you qualify based on RESIDENCY or DOMICILE then you can use the Wikivorce fixed price divorce. 

We were married abroad. Can we still get divorced in England?

Yes you can still get divorced in England, as long as one of you is either resident or domiciled here (see FAQ above).

It does not really matter what country you got married in.

We are not English citizens. Can we still get divorced in England?

Yes you can still get divorced in England, as long as one of you is resident here (see FAQ above).

It does not really matter what country you got married in.

End of FAQ section