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Divorce
The vast majority of divorces in the UK are undefended, meaning the spouse who receives the divorce petition does not choose to contest the divorce. However, in the small number of cases where a spouse chooses to dispute a divorce petition, the right legal advice and support is essential to achieve a positive outcome.
Crisp & Co’s divorce solicitors are highly experienced in both defended and undefended divorce, allowing us to offer straightforward, practical advice no matter how your divorce proceeds. Where your spouse does choose to defend the divorce, we can guide you through your options to resolve matters as quickly as possible allowing your divorce to go ahead.
With our expertise in non-confrontational dispute resolution, we can usually resolve most points of contention outside of a court hearing. This can then save you time, money and unnecessary conflict, and is usually the best option for everyone involved. However, where court action is needed, we have the experience to effectively represent your interests and secure a positive outcome.
For advice and support with a defended divorce, please get in touch with our divorce solicitors in London and across the South East now by calling 020 3281 7885 or contact your local Crisp & Co office.
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To get divorced without your spouse’s agreement, you have two options:
In many cases, people do not realise their spouse will defend the divorce until it happens. The standard process for a contested divorce will usually be as follows:
There are two main reasons people defend divorce petitions:
These issues can usually be resolved outside of a court by negotiation or using non-confrontational dispute resolution. This also shows why it is often wise to discuss these issues before submitting a divorce petition as it can minimise the chances of your divorce being defended.
For example, while your spouse might be unwilling to admit to adultery, they might be happy to admit ‘unreasonable behaviour’ such as not spending enough time at home or failing to provide emotional support. Therefore, by agreeing to use these reasons as grounds for divorce, rather than adultery, you may be able to have your divorce go ahead without dispute, saving you time, money and a lot of stress.
Our family lawyers offer two main types of non-confrontational dispute resolution for divorce:
Mediation for defended divorce – Involving you and your spouse sitting down for a series of meetings with a trained, neutral mediator to work through any points of dispute and agree how they can be resolved. This can be used both for disagreements over the reasons given for your divorce, as well as practical issues such as financial settlements and arrangements for children.
Collaborative law for defended divorce – Involving a series of four-way ‘round the table’ meetings between you, your spouse and your respective lawyers. The goal is to negotiate the practical details of your divorce, such as a financial settlement and arrangements for children. As uncertainty over these issues is a common reason for someone to defend a divorce, resolving these issues can be key to allowing your divorce to move forward.
Crisp & Co’s divorce solicitors have been helping individuals and families to navigate all aspects of divorce and separation under even the most challenging circumstances for more than 20 years. With our particular expertise in non-confrontational family dispute resolution, we can usually find a positive way forward for even highly contentious divorces, helping you to legally end your marriage and move on faster.
We are accredited by the Law Society for Family Law Advanced and our team includes several members of Resolution – a group of family lawyers committed to removing the conflict from family law – and trained collaborative lawyers.
Crisp & Co is also Lexcel accredited by the Law Society for the strength of our practice management and client care, and we are independently regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
For help with a defended divorce, please contact our divorce solicitors in London and across the South East now by calling 020 3281 7885 or contacting your local Crisp & Co office.
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