Divorce costs

[Crazycatladyx5]

How much cheaper is it if you wait 2, or 5, years to get divorced?
My husband left me in July 2016. 2 weeks later discovered he had been having a 4 month online affair - he moved straight in with the other woman.
I saw a solicitor & was quoted about £3k if I divorced him then. I decided I wasnt paying all that (got new windows instead!)
If I do it in 2 or 5 years will it be much cheaper?

Do it yourself. Cost me about 500. Didn't use solicitors. Was really easy and straightforward. But there wasn't money or property involved. Ring your family court or cab office for advice.

The fees for divorce don't change whether you divorce now, in 2 years or in 5 years (except that they might go up with inflation).

The longer you leave it, (1) the more chance he'll move and you won't have an address for him; (2) the more paperwork will be involved with the financial split (consent order); (3) if anything happens in the meantime, he could still claim from you (your death, inheritance, lottery win) because he's still your husband.

And don't spend money on the house, he will get the benefit.

The house was valued last summer just after he left as the mortgage needed renewing cos fixed term was up (mortgage always been in my name as I bought house before I met him) .....would his half of equity not be worked out from then?

No, it will be worked out from the value when he gets his share.

So my ex can benefit from anything I do to the house if equity is halved from time if Divorce, not time of split?
He has bought himself a house since ....I won't be entitled to any of that, so why should he able to claim on what Ive paid single handed since he left?

In England (you haven’t mentioned otherwise so I will assume) divorce and finances are separate but should be done at the same time. I am always amazed that people think they can divorce and leave the consent order because it’s costs/can’t be arsed/or think they have no assets now so don’t bother.

All assets (yours and his, even his house that he has just bought) have to be declared for a consent order on both sides and ‘may’ be taken into account depending on the situation so each case is individual. My own opinion is that leaving it x amount of years won’t necessarily make it cheaper (probably just more complicated).

I started out doing a DIY, it’s quite straight forwards but I got cold feel towards the end because I was so stressed out and contacted the lawyers on wikivorce.com They were great - they do the whole divorce for £179 if it’s just a straight divorce with no finances involved.
Have a look on wikivorce forum for real life info, I found it a real support.

Username324 when you say no finances involved do you mean you have no consent order so if one of you wins the lottery, becomes financially dependent through illness then other one could try and claim?

Thank you everyone.
I thought it was more straightforward to wait. He refused to go to mediation ladt summer....that was going to be £200 each & was told you have to do that before you can get divorced. .

I got quotes £750 for divorce and £550 court fee. It's the financial side on top that will cost the money

Solicitor said lsst year that we have to do final break clause after the divorce...without that you can still go after each other's assets even when you are divorced.. .she quoted £1k for that.

Yes Username234 .....nothing been put in place to stop either of us claiming anything from each other. Think I've been burrying my head in the sand.

If my memory is correct you get the nisi and then you sort out the consent order. It is recommended that you get the consent order finalised by the court then apply for the absolute.

Yes, we didn’t have a consent order, just the divorce.
But we’d been married for eons with kids all grown up.
It wasn’t an acrimonious divorce - if either of us wins
the lottery we’d see the other one ok. He paid my electric bill
last month.
If he remarries I wouldn’t have any qualms if this all changed.

He has bought himself a house since ....I won't be entitled to any of that

It is an asset of the marriage even though he bought it after leaving you. It will therefore go into the pot to be split between you.