Is it easy to file your own divorce?

[Zander2017]

Just that really.

I'm a student with some savings. No assets. Ex agrees to divorce. We want no drama. No court. I'm not bothered about his assets. I've tried through solicitors but the application for Legal Aid was tedious, bureaucratic and never-ending so I'm tempted to give up and do everything myself. Would I be making a mistake? How much would it cost?

I would always recommend solicitors. If it's an easy one it'll cost you about a grand I'd say but worth it in the long run. Sorry you are going through this

Cost me £400 and took seven months end to end (thanks to XH being a very good “responder” and executing paperwork fast).

Classic “starter marriage”; lasted 3 years, we rented, no shared assets, no children, no investments, neither of us a particularly higher earner than the other.

Very easy, honestly. I got help with fees as well. So if you're on any benefits check if the ymean you can get help.

I did it all myself and it was just a case of signing and sending paperwork off in a timely manner. I had to nudge ex once or twice to send his paperwork off. We had been separated for five years, no assets to split, contact with children already agreed. It was all very straightforward. Applied in the November, divorced early May the following year.

www.gov.uk/divorce/file-for-divorce

This helped a lot.

I am on housing benefit. We have children together.

Holly thank you. What was the hardest part of your divorce process? Also, how much did it cost you?

It's easy when you don't have any assets . I think it's £550 court fees all in if you've nothing to fight about, which it was for me.

I filled out the forms - did it for unreasonable behaviour. (He actually paid in the end, cos he wanted to remarry that year: I had been going to wait until 2 years separation.)

If you both want the divorce, maybe he'll cough up half the fees?

It didn't cost anything as at the time I was on income support. I'm not sure whether HB is the same though. I applied for a fee exemption first of all and they sent me a reference number, which I then had to put on all paperwork. I downloaded the divorce form filled it in and sent it off with my marriage certificate. About a fortnight later we both got an acknowledgement of service, I didn't have to do anything else at that point but ex had to sign and send it off within 14 days, he didn't 🙄, so I had to ring and moan at him a few times. I then got sent a copy of his forms and he'd defaced them with some silly nonsense about how much money he owes and how mean I was 🙄 but he'd signed them and they accepted them; they've probably seen it all before. That was it for a while, then a few months later I got a letter says my I could now apply for decree nisi, so I downloaded the form for that. A few weeks later it came in the post and on it in big black letters was the date I could apply for the Absolute - 6 weeks and one day - 11 days after I applied I got the Absolute.

The hardest part was caused by ex being a nit wit about his side of the paperwork. The rest of it was totally straightforward. Without benefits it costs £550 I believe. I got all my info from that link that I posted on my previous post. Just do what it tells you to do in that.

Easiest thing ever. Just get the consent order sorted before anything else (if you get the £100 version we did). That was the delay turning 3 months into 7.

AuntieGeek - what is the £100 consent order? I want a clean break consent order and am not sure how to get one cheaply.

Do other people divorcing cheaply not have a consent order?

There is a firm I used which I got from a websearch. They charged £125 in total. Lots of paperwork for you both to fill in but it works.

I'm looking at DIYing mine, this info is all very helpful :)

i did my own years ago, the Court Staff were very helpful, and helped me with the forms, however there were no asets, or children.
it is the existence of the Dc's that would worry me in this case, and I would suggest you go for a free half hour with a solicitor and then go to your nearest County Court for a bit of advice and guidance on how to deal with the "paperwork".
Is your STBXH hoppy with the proposal of a DIY divorce as his co-operation is essential?