It has been over a year now since the ‘no fault’ divorce law was introduced in April 2022. Since then we have seen a gradual rise in the number of divorcing couples wanting to complete the process without having the assistance of legal advisors. Commonly known as a ‘Do It Yourself’ divorce, you may think this seems the easier and cheaper route. However, it could cost you further down the line, so it’s important you know what you’re getting yourself in for.

The Process

The process of applying for a divorce is now more straightforward than in previous years. But there is still room for mistake. Many official documents are required for a divorce and it is easy to miss important parts, which can eventually lead to potential delays and errors when waiting for your divorce to come through. Most importantly, neglecting to inform the court of essential financial matters which must be dealt with could be detrimental to you achieving the right outcome.

Preconceptions

One very common preconception about a ‘do it yourself’ divorce is that once complete, that’s the end of it. But most of the time this is wrong. Child arrangements and financial matters are not automatically dealt with in the process of the divorce. Arrangement of separate steps are needed to finalise these officially. Failure to arrange this could lead to further issues, as a claim could be made against you by your spouse for not dealing with this in the form of a financial settlement. This could significantly impact your finances in the future and possibly take from either your pensions, property, business interests or inheritance.

Remarriage Trap

Often times after people divorce, they decide to move on with their life and remarry, but fail to realise that they could potentially lose financial claims against their former spouse. This is commonly referred to as the ‘remarriage trap’. We have seen this cause many issues for couples who have completed a DIY divorce without the expert legal advice from a professional.

Is A DIY Divorce Cost-Effective?

At face value you may believe a DIY divorce is more cost-effective than a traditional divorce, as you can cut out all of those added fees. But receiving guidance from a professional with years of experience in this field is often a far more cost effective and cleaner way to get your divorce finalised. As we have discovered it can save you from silly mistakes which could seriously impact your finances further down the line.

We Care About Helping You

A legal professional can not only advise you on the paperwork and steps to take throughout the process, but can also provide the strategic support and reassurance that you don’t get with a DIY divorce. Having an expert who can also signpost you to additional services including mediation to resolve disputes, provide financial advice post-divorce, and not forgetting our private client service to update your will, means that we help you to deal with all of the challenges you face at this difficult time and achieve solutions that are right for you.

If you have filed for a divorce, get in touch with Farleys Solicitorsand we can put you in touch with our family law team who can handle the process for you. Call us on 0800 0523 693 or contact us by email.