How long did your divorce take ?

[FippertyGibbett]

From the moment you lifted the phone to call a solicitor, until it was finally over, how long did it take ?

I petitioned Oct 2019, got Nisi April 2020 and am still waiting for the Absolute.

We went to mediation, had to involve pensions (which added on a big chunk of time for Actuarial report), then Covid has hit the courts. I've gone grey and my eye sight's gone waiting - literally

Similar here, petition to decree nisi was quick. Over a year later and 2 different mediators, we now have first court date for financial proceedings in March. He never made a single offer in mediation, or really tried to resolve things. But the courts will draw a line under it eventually. And I hold onto that thought daily.

Two and a half years. I wouldn't agree to a divorce (he left me and our very young DC) without a watertight financial settlement that protected (a) the roof over our heads and (b) my future earnings and assets including any inheritance from my family.

Sometimes speed isn't so important.

Conversely a friend with no assets involved, settled her divorce in 6 months.

Mine was started at the beginning of December 2018 and got the decree absolute in mid July 2019. DP started his January 2020 and got decree absolute beginning May. I was surprised at how quick it was! Both of us had straightforward divorces and had already sorted finances.

Meant to add neither of us used solicitors either, it was literally the administrative process of the divorce.

Mine took 18 months, no assets or children but EXH was very slow with all the paperwork and there were lots of delays.
DH - also 18 months which included a lot of financial argy bargy and a sealed consent order etc

16 weeks. No assets. No money. No solicitors. £450 court fees.

4 years separated, three solicitors later, still haven't filed the petition, hopefully in the next couple of weeks

Petition served Sept 2019, decree nisi end of Jan 2020, then it stalled for ages as Mediation, then Actuary to look at pension. Still waiting for final mediation notes, then will send them to solicitor who will hopefully agree on what's been agreed in mediation, write up a report to submit to court and hopefully judge will approve. Then, finally, decree Absolute. It's taken a lot longer than I"d envisaged by miles. Originally thought it would all be sorted by May last year - some hope! I'm worried about court delays but hoping it'll all be done by June or July this year but no idea quite how realistic that is! Any current knowledge on time scales from anyone else would be really helpful!!

HulaChick

We're on very similar timescales and the exact same route: Mediation and use of Actuary for pensions. We petitioned Oct 2019, Nisi Apr 2020 still waiting for Absolute. Apparently, if you've involved pensions/an Actuary, you have to wait a further statutory 28 days after the judge has ok'd the Order, (to allow pension providers to pull their fingers out, I think).

I've literally gone grey waiting!

If I decided to divorce my husband, theres no property involved - we live in rented accommodation in my name only, the DC are grown up (30, 26 and 17), although all still living at home! The only thing Id need to be concerned with is pensions.

H is 50, and had a 20-odd year career in the civil service, and is now employed elsewhere and has been for about 6 years, so he`ll have a pension from that.

I`ve done various jobs throughout out almost 30 year marriage - SAHM, worked mostly part-time in various jobs (factory work, agency nursing), worked part time for the NHS for 12 years and now working full time.

I`m not interested in any of his pension, so would I have to involve a solicitor?

TIA

@ValleysGirl72 you might not be interested in his pensions, but a judge isn't likely not agree to you giving up your claim to them unless you are well provided for on your own.

You can divorce without getting a financial settlement, but it's not recommended. See if you can get 30 minutes free advice from a solicitor.

@PasturesN3w
Yes, we are on a similar timescale and toute - will be interested how long the rest of the journey will take us both. I hadn't heard about the extra 28 days if an Actuary's been involved, so that's yet another month! I'm hoping that our financial settlement will get passed and then, so I've heard, the application for and getting the Absolute is pretty quick! Fingers crossed for both of us!

Petition served March 2019 , absolute in August 2019! He was a bastard , was eager to punish me before financials were sorted, but it didn't work. Finances finally sorted March 2020 and cao granted in September 2020. It's a fight ... but worth it ... don't rush, yes it's stressful , but don't let the bastards bully you! I ended up with 70% split in my favour, I refused to let him control me again.

Divorced 10 years ago. Rang solicitors on 4th jan. filed on 12th feb, can’t remember nisi date but divorce finalised on 16th May. Reasonably amicable, agreed all division of finances and childcare between ourselves.

Filed march 19. Absolute jun20. Consent order Jan 20

@crunchiebabe

Petition served March 2019 , absolute in August 2019! He was a bastard , was eager to punish me before financials were sorted, but it didn't work. Finances finally sorted March 2020 and cao granted in September 2020. It's a fight ... but worth it ... don't rush, yes it's stressful , but don't let the bastards bully you! I ended up with 70% split in my favour, I refused to let him control me again.

Hi dear.

I need some advice about this. When I read your post, I thought you might be able to help me.
Decree nisi is done, waiting for absolute now, and going through the finances.

Hubby of 21 years has refused mediation if it involves pension and the home he has inherited, which was also our 1st marital home.
So solicitor has advised to go to the court.
I had to leave home with 10 year old because of DV, which was reported. I never went back to family home, again and built a new life in new city with my child.

Do i only get 50% of the family home which was under both our names when bought?

Do you think I ll get anything from his pension and the house he has inherited?

He is still single, and earns 5 times more than I do.

For a long marriage like that it makes no difference who brought what in to the marriage. Everything either of you own is a marital asset and will be split according to need. But of course he may be very good at hiding stuff so you may need to find the evidence.

Thankyou so much Otter.
1.In Form E he has only provided bank statements of 2 last weeks of 12 months.
First 2 weeks of every month are missing.

1. There is another account from where he draws out 500 to 3000 pounds and submits large amounts into, but he did not mention it in the Form E.

1. There is evidence of saver account in his bank statements, but he did not declare it.

How do I or my solicitor find out about those, or anything else he hasnt declared?

If you know about these accounts and have the account detais Eskaybi then it should be easy and the court will be able to deal with it
If not you may need to look at a forensic accountant. Expensive though but depends how much you think you will gain.

I had never known there was such people as forensic accountants. I'll look into it if it comes to that. For now I'm hoping it doesnt have to come to that and he shows what he has.

Six years. And I still haven't got the final piece of paper.

@PersimmonTree

Six years. And I still haven't got the final piece of paper.

That's really long. Any idea why it's taken so long.

My decree nisi came through this week, I'm waiting for decree absolute now.

Its scary if it takes six years or so.

Any idea how long a finances split case takes, from the day it is filed.
And what's the legal procedure?