Divorce and Partnership Dissolution
If your marriage or civil partnership has broken down irretrievable, our experienced family law team at Talbot Walker LLP is here to guide you through the legal process with clarity, sensitivity and care. We understand that separation can be emotionally challenging and we are committed to making the journey as smooth and dignified as possible.
Looking for guidance?
Whether you are instigating the divorce or are subject to divorce proceedings we can help. We always offer direct access to an experienced divorce and family lawyer who will explain the process to you and take care of all your divorce paperwork.
To keep things easy for you we provide a fixed fee up front to give you certainty. There is always the option that you can pay on an hourly basis that is to say you pay for the time spent by your lawyer on your case.
Read on to see how we can help you or contact our team for an informal chat or to arrange your initial meeting.
The No Fault Divorce Process:
- Under the current law, you no longer need to prove fault or blame to obtain a divorce. The only requirement is a statement confirming that the relationship has irretrievably broken down. This modern approach helps reduce conflict and allows couples to focus on resolving practical matters such as finances and arrangements for children.
- You can apply for divorce:
- As a sole applicant; or
- As joint applicants if both parties agree.
- The process includes:
- Filing the divorce application with a statement of irretrievable breakdown.
- A 20-week reflection period before applying for the Conditional Order (formerly Decree Nisi).
- A further 6-week and 1-day waiting period before applying for the Final Order (formerly Decree Absolute).
How we can help:
- Whether you’re initiating divorce proceedings or responding to an application, we offer direct access to a specialist divorce lawyer who will explain the process, handle all documentation, and keep you informed every step of the way.
- If you are applying for divorce we will:
- Collect all relevant information from you.
- Prepare and submit the divorce application.
- Notify the court of our representation.
- Apply for the Conditional Order and Final Order.
- Fixed Fee – £550.00 plus VAT (£1100.00) and Court Fee (£612.00) =£1,272.00.
- If you have been served divorce papers we will:
- Review the application and explain its implication.
- Prepare and submit the Acknowledgment of Service.
- Correspond with your spouse or their solicitor.
- Advise on any cost claims made against you.
- Fixed Fee – £550.00.00 plus VAT (110.00) – £660.00.
- This includes up to one hour of consultation to address any concerns or questions you may have.
What is not included:
- Amendments to the divorce application.
- Issues with serving papers.
- Translation or certified copies of marriage certificates.
- Defended divorce proceedings.
- Enforcement of cost orders.
- Advice on finances, property, or children.
Additional Fees:
- In some cases, additional work may be required—for example, if your spouse fails to respond or if there is a dispute over costs. These matters fall outside the fixed fee and will be charged at our standard hourly rate. We will always discuss any additional costs with you before proceeding.
Additional information
What work is not included:
- Work carried out if you decide to amend the Divorce Petition
- The costs involved if there are problems in serving the divorce papers on your spouse
- The cost of obtaining a certified copy of your marriage certificate or having your marriage certificate translated
- Any work required if your spouse defends the divorce
- The fees for enforcing any Costs Order obtained against your spouse
- Any advice or work relating to property, finance and children issues
Additional fees
In most cases the process is without difficulty, however in a minority of cases there can be additional issues which need to be resolved. For example, if you are bringing divorce proceedings, then we may encounter difficulty in getting your husband or wife to respond to the paperwork and it may be necessary to arrange for documentation to be served personally. In the absence of an agreement on costs, your husband or wife can ask the court for a contribution towards their costs in bringing the divorce proceedings. If there is a dispute then any costs incurred in dealing with the dispute will fall outside the fixed fee price. If a divorce becomes contested the fixed fee price will not apply. We will discuss all costs with you before any work is undertaken.
If you have had divorce papers served on you:
We can offer you direct access to an experienced divorce and family lawyer who will explain the process to you, collect all the relevant details from you and complete the paperwork including corresponding on your behalf with your husband or wife and/or their solicitors. Our fixed fee is £500 plus VAT of £100, total £600.
We will collect all relevant information from you and explain to you the implications of the Divorce Petition. We will prepare the Acknowledgment of Service confirming that you do not object to the divorce and that you have received the Petition.
If the court is satisfied that your husband or wife has grounds for divorce then it will set a date when Decree Nisi will be pronounced. We will tell you when the date for the pronouncement of Decree Nisi will take place and we will advise you in respect of the costs of the Divorce Petition which your husband or wife may seek to recover from you. If you are asked to pay costs and there is a dispute, the fixed price will not include work required in this respect. Ordinarily, we will charge an hourly rate in respect of any work undertaken in connection with costs and we will be more than happy to discuss this further with you. Throughout the process we will keep you informed of developments and the fixed fee takes into account one hour of discussion with you to cover any issues or concerns you may have relating to the process.
