If you are in the middle of a family dispute, or you need to make a difficult decision but are unsure of what to do next, you may want to consider seeking professional legal advice and in most cases, this is done by instructing family Solicitors Portsmouth.

How family solicitors can help you

If you are having difficulty coming to a resolution with a spouse or a family member and it is beginning to affect you, family solicitors will be able to assist in working to provide a resolution in a way which benefits all parties involved. By understanding the sensitivity of each circumstance along with providing a professional and friendly service, these professionals will use their valued experience to provide advice and intervene where necessary and even work toward Family Mediation in order to bring the desired outcome.

Family solicitors are able to assist in matters including arrangements prior to marriage, cohabitation, relationship marriage, financial arrangements and divorce and/separation.

Considering a divorce?

The topic of divorce is never an easy one, however if you are finding that you are unable to resolve matters with your spouse, you may be considering taking the next step and applying for a divorce. In what can be a lengthy process, divorce is the legal action which dissolves the marriage between two people. When considering divorce proceedings there are steps which need to be satisfied in order for the divorce to be granted, along with considering other factors such as financial agreements and child arrangement orders.

Before starting divorce proceedings it is important that you are clear on the reason for you applying, as you will need to prove that your marriage has irretrievably broken down and cannot be saved.

There are five reasons to which you are able to apply for a divorce which are:

• circumstances in which your spouse has behaved in a way that you are now unable to live with them (known as unreasonable behaviour)
• if your spouse has left you for a period of two years
• if your spouse has committed adultery
• if you have been separated from your spouse for a period of at least two years
• if you have been separated from your spouse for a period of at least five years

The stages of divorce

The first step in beginning divorce proceedings is completing a petition. It is this petition which will detail one of the five reasons mentioned earlier as to why the marriage has broken down.

Once this petition has been sent to the court, a copy of this will be sent to your spouse to formally make them aware you are applying for a divorce. At this stage your spouse will be required to complete an ‘acknowledgment of service‘ form, to confirm they have received the petition and that they agree with the reasons for divorce.

Following this, the one who is applying for the divorce (known as the petitioner) then applies for a Decree Nisi. Once the application has been made, both parties will receive a court order and there will be an opportunity for both parties to attend the court to also confirm who will be responsible for the costs of the petitioner, known as a Costs Order.

It is important to note that the final step of divorce proceedings is the Decree Absolute.