Getting a Divorce: What You Need to Know

Sam Richards
Authored by Sam Richards
Posted Friday, March 27, 2020 - 8:07am

Getting a divorce can be a challenging and emotional experience for the couple involved. It could be made even more difficult if one party wants to end the marriage and the other doesn’t. However, short-term marriages where there is little ownership of possessions, no children or property involved are much easier to manage.

If couples work together and aim to settle a divorce through calm negotiation, it will make the experience far less gruelling and expensive.

If you are thinking about getting a divorce, here are some things you might like to keep in mind.

1. File a divorce petition

If one person isn’t happy being married to the other, they are entitled to file a legal petition asking the court to terminate the marriage. However, it would be best for the two parties to come to a mutual agreement as to why the divorce should go through. If your partner disagrees to go ahead with the divorce or there is disagreement on who should pay fees, you may need to go to court.

There are several reasons why your marriage may have broken down and can file for divorce, including:

  • Adultery
  • Violence, verbal abuse, and addiction
  • Neglect
  • You’ve lived apart for more than two years (if you both agree to the divorce)
  • You’ve lived apart for more than five years (if one person decides they want to divorce)

2. Get a lawyer

Nobody wants to pay unnecessary legal fees. However, it’s one of the most important aspects to think about when it comes to settling a divorce. If you have children and co-own property, a lawyer must step in to oversee the situation.

You may need to take legal advice from a professional solicitors Halesowen firm if:

  • You cannot come to an arrangement as to who the children will live with
  • You cannot agree on child maintenance
  • You believe that your spouse is going to make the process difficult
  • One of the parties is an international citizen

3. Getting a divorce can benefit the weaker party

Luckily, the UK is known to offer generous financial pay-outs to the person in the couple who have less income. The judge is largely responsible as to how the assets should be divided. It usually starts with a 50/50 split before coming to a final decision as to which party is entitled to the greater financial settlement.

4. Divorce comes with mourning

While you may be eager to get out of the marriage and start a new chapter, it doesn’t come without mourning. You may feel as though you have failed in life and didn’t give the marriage your all; however, this is a natural reaction to an emotional situation. It will take time to adjust to your new life and doesn’t happen overnight. If you are seriously struggling with your emotions, it would be best to seek the help of a professional therapist to make sense of your thoughts and understand the strange sense of grief.

 

 

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