I'm in the process of divorcing my husband through the UK gov website. He was returned to his native country after I fled the married (DV). He's not responded to the divorce petition within the timescale set by the court. I mailed it to the last known postal address for him and emailed it to the 3 email addresses I knew him to use in the past. No contact since 2017, when I fled the married with our baby following months of domestic violence and all sorts of nasty threats.
Husband was removed from the UK and returned by our authorities to his native country in 2017. Since then, I’ve had no information on his whereabouts, activities or work situation. For all I know, he may no longer be in his native country. I just don’t know.
On the application for deemed service it was asking for all other ways I've tried to contact him or his family etc. I seriously have no contact details for his family. I blocked him on all social media and then subsequently deleted my own social media years ago, as I was afraid of him trying to track me and our baby down.
The application for Deemed Service said to only try these other contact methods if safe to do so but, in my case, it's not safe. Husband threatened to kill me, abduct our child and all sorts of other domestic abuse. That's why I left the marriage!
So, with my Deemed Service application, I attached photos of the postal envelope I sent him to last known address, postage receipt, customs declaration as well as all relevant paperwork from the police and courts about the domestic violence. I also attached all the information police sent me in response to my Subject Access Request to support the divorce case. This confirms how serious the domestic abuse was.
Could this be enough to get the divorce though the Deemed Service option when it's too unsafe to contact my husband or trying to trace his family? I submitted this online this morning, they’ll let me know by a date in early November whether the application is accepted by the court.
What happens next if it isn’t accepted?
Has anyone in a similar situation had their Deemed Service application accepted by the courts when it’s too unsafe/dangerous to try finding spouse through means other than the post or email I’ve already tried?