Barely a day goes by at the moment when we do not see some media coverage following the breakdown of Ant McPartlin’s marriage to Lisa Armstrong. Last week, the Judge dealing with their case at Court made is very clear that “there isn’t one law for the famous and one for the rest of the community”.

Yet all so often I am asked – how did they get their divorce so quickly? The answer is quite simple – they didn’t. As with anyone whose marriage has broken down irretrievably leading to the issue of a divorce petition, they have been granted a Decree Nisi. That does not mean they are divorced. It will, in the first instance, be for Ms Armstrong to make an application for her marriage to Mr McPartlin to be dissolved no less than six weeks and a day after the Judge granted her Decree Nisi. She may be unlikely to do so whilst their finances have not as yet been resolved.

That in many ways is the key point as most divorces can and do proceed promptly – resolving financial matters on the breakdown of a marriage is more time consuming as it’s vital to get the right outcome. Do remember you are only going to get one chance to get it right so it’s important that you do all you can to get that outcome.

For me, it’s also vital to make sure financial issues are resolved within divorce proceedings rather than afterwards. Look at Mr Vince – the self-made millionaire after divorce who was told by the Court that his former wife could still bring a financial claim against him even though they had divorced two decades prior to her application to the Court.

The law is there to help us all when we face a family law problem so be sure to use it well and wisely.

If you are considering issuing divorce proceedings, it is important you seek legal advice in the first instance. Farleys’ family law team can provide you with comprehensive, down to earth advice to ensure your divorce reaches the outcome you want. Speak to the team today on 0845 287 0939 or email us through our online contact form.