How to get a quick divorce
If you are going to have a divorce, then you might as well get it over as quickly as possible. Why, after all, would you want to drag it on for any longer? For this reason, a big question we get asked is how to divorce quickly. Let me tell you.
By far, the number one way to secure a quick divorce is to get the cooperation of your spouse. First, you need their agreement to the divorce, then their agreement on the grounds for divorce that you will use.
If you and your spouse have already lived apart for some time and can use two years of separation with consent or five years of separation as the fact for your divorce, your correspondence is very straightforward. It gets a bit more complicated if you have to use unreasonable behaviour.
To divorce using unreasonable behaviour, you must show that your spouse’s conduct is such that it is unreasonable to expect you to live with them. The legal term for this is that the marriage has irretrievably broken down.
If you can convince the courts that your marriage has irretrievably broken down, they will permit you to divorce. When giving the evidence, you must describe the behaviour of your spouse, not your own. You will need to provide several written examples describing their behaviour, when it took place and how the behaviour made you feel.
Domestic violence, excessive drinking, or jealousy are all examples of unreasonable behaviour. But the court doesn’t insist on severe allegations to grant a divorce. Relatively mild allegations such as spending too much time at work or pursuing a separate social life are usually good enough examples of unreasonable behaviour.
How to divorce quickly using unreasonable behaviour
If you want a quick divorce, it is best to agree on the details of unreasonable behaviour with your spouse. Draw up a list of behaviours and share it with your spouse. Explain that you have to write about their behaviour, show them what you’ve come up with and get their feedback. This reduces the chance of shock, disagreement and your spouse defending the claim. For more examples of unreasonable behaviour, read our article How to divorce on grounds of Unreasonable Behaviour.
Once you have filed for divorce, the courts will send a copy of the divorce petition to your spouse along with a document known as an acknowledgement of service. Another way to ensure a quick divorce is for your spouse to respond and return the acknowledgement of service as soon as possible.
The purpose of the acknowledgement of service is for your spouse to tell the court that they’ve received the divorce paperwork, and they acknowledge that you want to divorce them. Your spouse must complete the document, stating whether they agree to the divorce, and return it to the court.
For guidance on how to complete the acknowledgement of service form, read our article, How to complete an Acknowledgement of Service.
Once the court has received the acknowledgement of service form, you will apply for decree nisi in the earliest possible time. It typically takes about four to six weeks for the decree nisi hearing and a further six weeks from this date to apply for the decree absolute that legally ends your marriage.
How Easy Online Divorce can help
Cooperation, as you can see, is the key to a quick divorce. But, and a big but is that emotions can be raw even between couples who agree to a divorce, making it difficult to cooperate optimally.
We have been running a successful trial at Easy Online Divorce to engage with both spouses to secure a smooth and quick divorce. Both parties are made aware of timelines and we help them understand and complete the paperwork to process their divorce as quickly as possible.
We will be adding this as a new premium service shortly, but for now, you can access this service as part of our standard, fully managed divorce process. If you are ready to start your divorce, you can order here or if you would like more details, call us on 020 4530 8101.
