Questions about separation/divorce

[MrsKOBrien]

Hi,

I want to end my marriage of 20 years.

If we separate does it have to be done legally (I read somewhere that a divorce won't be granted unless you have been separated for 2 years)? Not sure if it has to be legal for the 2 years to start.

Roughly, does anyone know how much solicitor fees are for both?

As long as you've been married for longer than a year, you don't need a legal separation to be granted a divorce.
You can start proceedings as soon as you like.

The costs are like a piece of string....

So you can wait 2 years and agree interim finances. After 2 years you can divorce.

There is an application for court to divorce, which is around £600 but you can find out online.

If you have agreed finances these can be drawn up by a solicitor into a consent order. You could ask a solicitor how long it would take but assume several hours at their hourly rate which is likely to be £200+ an hour.

If you and your H amicable, no dispute about children or finances it will be less than £2k.
Once you start sending solicitor letters back and forth the costs ramp up quickly.

If you want to divorce sooner than 2 years someone will have to petition the other for e.g. unreasonable behaviour, adultery. If you can be amicable about agreeing who petitions who it might not increase costs exponentially but certainly for us 'amicable' seems to be a fragile state of affairs and I think it would open a box of 'he said/she said' hence us going down the separation 2 year route.

He moved out and all bills with his name changed and I remortgaged. I take the separation date as when he took on new tenancy. It'd have to be fairly clear cut like that, if you are in the same house you need to show your finances etc are totally separate and you're living separately (I think). Bit harder to demonstrate.