About Divorce – What does the Leaflet D183 "About Divorce" Cover?

With this in mind the Government has decided to publish their own pamphlet that describes in great detail every step you need to take should you need to file for a divorce.

This leaflet titled D183 "About Divorce" from Her Majesty's Courts Service takes you from the basics of when you can legally file for a divorce from your spouse to the reasons that the court will accept as grounds for a divorce.
Because there are certain procedures you must follow and forms that have to be submitted this leaflet lists every step and form needed as well as where you can get them.

For example you must live in England or Wales for at least one year before you can file for a divorce in either country, but there are certain exceptions and the pamphlet explains these.

The leaflet also explains everything you need to know about solicitors and whether or not you really need one. According to English law you can represent yourself in any legal proceeding, but in divorce it may not be the best choice. Here you will find information that will help you to decide whether you need to retain the services of a lawyer or if a do it yourself divorce will work for your situation.

The "About Divorce" leaflet goes on to explain the court hearing process and what to expect once the divorce has been filed. It also explains costs and how payments can be made. At the end of the leaflet you will find a county by county list of courts where you can file for your divorce.

Children and Divorce - What is Leaflet D185 "Children and Divorce"?

Sadly when most people are going through a divorce their minds are focused mainly on their own problems including the reasons for the divorce in the first place.

The one aspect that may be overlooked is how the divorce will affect the children as well as what legal procedures must be followed to make sure that they are properly cared for during and after the divorce is finalized.

Leaflet D185 entitled "Children and divorce" was created by Her Majesty's Courts Service to help explain the courts require parents to do and what forms must be filled out to ensure that your children will be properly cared for. However the information only covers those children who are still living with you and are in need of your care and assistance due to their age or particular circumstances.

The leaflet covers the information you will be required to present to the courts regarding your children such as names, ages and where they are living at the moment as well as what you intend to happen with them after the divorce is final. This includes who they will live with and lists the appropriate forms that must be filled out to present to the court when your divorce hearing is scheduled to be presented to the judge.

D185 also covers information regarding what will happen if your spouse will not sign form D84 and then goes on to cover what happens if the judge is or is not happy with the arrangements that you have made regarding your children. It explains in detail the role of the judge when he is not satisfied with your arrangements and what he can do to make sure the children will be properly taken care of. Lastly it explains where you go to apply for financial support if necessary to help you take care of your children.

I have a decree nisi - what must I do next?

After you have gone through the entire process of filing your petition for divorce, made arrangements for your children, and gone through the courts, the judge will make his decision regarding your divorce.

Should the judge decide that you have grounds for a divorce and grants it you and your spouse will both be given a copy of form D29 known as a decree nisi. However this still does not mean that your divorce is final there are still things that must be done to finalize your divorce once and for all.

Leaflet D187 entitled "I have a decree nisi – what must I do next?" explains the steps you must take after the courts send you a copy of your decree nisi. Along with this form you may receive others such as the D84B which covers the arrangements for your children and a form D61 if you asked the respondent to pay all or part of the divorce costs.  This leaflet explains what you must do with all of these forms in order to file for you decree absolute.

D187 also explains the reason for the waiting period between the pronouncement of the decree nisi and when you may actually apply for you decree absolute as well as when the first day you can apply for it is. It also explains what you must do if you fail to file within a reasonable amount of time for your decree absolute.

The leaflet covers what the costs involved are what you can do if you find you cannot afford them as well as where you must pay the fees.

Finally leaflet D187 explains that you must have a decree absolute to finalize your divorce and what they do with form D36 your application for a decree absolute before you finally get your form D37 decree absolute and your divorce is finally legally complete. 

I Want a Divorce – What do I do? - Understanding the Leaflet D184 "I Want to get a divorce-What do I do?

The key to being able to file a successful divorce and have as few problems as possible not only with the filing but with the entire process lies in understanding how the process works and what you must do to file the appropriate paperwork.

You cannot file a successful divorce unless you know what is required of you and how you must go about the legal aspects of filing.

Leaflet D184 entitled "I want to get a divorce- What do I do?" will help guide you through the basic information regarding your divorce. It begins by explaining what you should do before you start your petition for divorce including reading the 2 other pamphlets that are available from Her Majesty's Court Service regarding divorce.

You will need to read all 3 leaflets to make you fully understand what you are getting into before going ahead with your plans to divorce.

D184 explains where you need to go to start your petition as well as the days and hours that the court offices are open for you to file your petition. It also points you towards leaflet EX50 that will explain exactly how much your divorce filing will cost, who must pay which costs and how they can be paid.

The leaflet covers what paperwork you will need to file your divorce and what happens once they are filed. This includes covering time frames that have been established for the respondent to reply to your petition and what will happen if the respondent either chooses not to or fails to reply.

When used in conjunction with the other free leaflets you will learn most of what you need to know if you are planning to file a petition for divorce in either England or Wales. Because divorce laws in Scotland are significantly different these leaflets do not apply.

The Respondent has Replied to My Petition-What do I do?

Once you have their response you are finally starting down the road to the end of your marriage, but there are some things that you must do once you have their answer.

Leaflet D186 entitled "The respondent has replied to my petition – What do I do?" was created to explain what you should be prepared to do and what you can expect as your divorce moves along towards its conclusion. It begins by explaining what you must do if the defendant says that he does or does not intend to defend the case in court.

For the most part if the defendant says they do not intend to defend you will need to ask the court if you need to see the judge.In cases where the defendant indicates that they will defend the case the leaflet tells you what steps you will need to take next in order to proceed with your petition for divorces as well as the time frames you must work within.

You will see instructions regarding how to apply for a trial and the forms you will need to file along with associated fees. The leaflet also covers what happens to the forms and why they must be seen by the judge.

The leaflet finishes by explaining what will happen next depending on whether or not the judge agrees to grant you a divorce. D186 also explains your options should the judge decide not to grant your divorce and what your next step should be.

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