How do they know the length of separation?

[lifeisgoodagain]

We are being super amicable, all is sorted financially (we aren't going to file financial consent) but there's the two year wait thing. How to they decide when it formally begins? I don't want to have to make false claims and we plain to file online without a solicitor for £550. Because of the mortgage I have a joint bank account, he emotionally checked out years ago, no one can tell when he moved into the spare room, how do they check?

They don't, in my experience, particularly if you both agree on the time-line.
I waited 2 years to do mine, in similar circumstance, and realised afterwards it would have been fairly easy to have 'started the clock' somewhat earlier than I did.

I thought it began from the time one of you moves out the marital home ?

@gezzerboy
It says on the govt website you can live in the same home - he's moved now but made sense not to rush to pay rent, our house is big enough. I know when things basically ended it's just we held on until youngest turned 18, I'll use that date.