This article was written by David Connor, Director and Head of Family Law at WHN Solicitors, who specialises in complex financial settlements in divorce including high-value cases involving property, pensions, and business interests.
Getting divorced in England and Wales takes a minimum of 26 weeks — about six months — even if both of you agree and there are no disputes. You can’t speed this up. It’s built into the law.
The process is straightforward, but the waiting periods are mandatory. Since April 2022, divorce law has been simpler. You don’t need to prove fault or blame anyone, You’re only required to confirm the marriage has broken down, and the court processes it. But “simpler” doesn’t mean faster. The law now requires a minimum timeline to give couples adequate time to reflect and attempt to sort out finances and children arrangements. However, resolution of financial and child arrangements is not mandatory at this stage and can be done later.
Understanding what happens at each stage helps you plan and use the time productively, rather than just waiting.
What Changed in Divorce in 2022 (The Quick Version)
Old System (Pre-April 2022): Had to prove adultery, unreasonable behaviour, desertion, or 2/5 years separation. Could defend a divorce. Used Decree Nisi and Decree Absolute terminology.
New System (Post-April 2022): One ground for divorce only, irretrievable breakdown, with no proof necessary. Conditional Order and Final Order are the correct terminology now. A mandatory 26-week minimum wait is applied.
The new system removes blame and conflict from the legal process, but it doesn’t make divorce any faster. In fact, it is quite the opposite.
The 5 Stages of Divorce in the UK
Stage 1: The Application (Week 0)
You complete the divorce application online through the government portal. In order to do so, you only need three things:
Your marriage certificate.
Your spouse’s current address.
£612 for the court fee.
If you are on low income or benefits, you may qualify for fee exemption through the Help With Fees Scheme.
Sole or joint application? You can apply alone (sole application) or together (joint application). Sole is more common, where one person (the applicant) starts the process and the other (the respondent) receives the papers. You can still reach agreement on everything with a sole application.
Joint applications only work if you’re genuinely cooperating from the start, and many solicitors won’t handle them because if disagreements arise later about finances or children, a conflict of interest becomes more likely.
As part of the process, your solicitor prepares the application and you approve it. They will then upload it to the court portal with the fee. Generally, it will take between 1-2 weeks for the court to process your application and send a case number.
Stage 2: Acknowledgement of Service (Weeks 1-3)
Your spouse receives a copy of the application by email or post and needs to complete an “Acknowledgement of Service” form via the court portal confirming they received it. Under the no-fault system, they can’t easily contest or stop the divorce itself, though they can dispute financial arrangements or children matters separately through different court applications.
If your spouse doesn’t respond within 14 days attempts will be made to persuade the other party to do so. Otherwise, you’ll need to arrange an alternative method of service (different address, process server) to prove they received the papers. You may need to apply to the court for directions as to how this will happen. If service takes place within the 20-week period (see below), it is unlikely to affect the timescale.
Stage 3: The 20-Week Reflection Period (Weeks 1-20)
This is the frustrating part. Once your application is issued, you must wait 20 weeks before applying for the Conditional Order. There are very limited grounds to reduce this, so generally you cannot speed this up, even if you both agree to everything and you’ve been separated for years. The government says this gives couples time to reflect, sort out finances, and make children arrangements.
Use this time productively: Start negotiating the financial settlement, get property and pension valuations, gather financial documents, and agree on child arrangements. This is crucial, because sorting finances often takes longer than the divorce itself — and you should never divorce without having a financial order in place unless you know this is best for you.
Stage 4: Conditional Order (Week 20+)
After the 20-week reflection period ends, the applicant applies for a Conditional Order (previously called Decree Nisi). This is the court confirming they agree you can divorce, though it’s not final yet — it’s just a conditional agreement. You complete a short online application (no fee), the court reviews it, and usually pronounces the Conditional Order within 2-3 weeks. You don’t attend court; it’s all done on paper, and you receive the date by email.
Stage 5: Final Order (Week 26+)
After the Conditional Order is pronounced, you must wait another six weeks before applying for the Final Order (previously called Decree Absolute). This is mandatory and cannot be rushed. After the six weeks pass, the applicant applies online (no fee, and just a simple one-page form), and the court often processes it within a few days to a week, issuing the Final Order to both parties.
Important: If you haven’t sorted your financial settlement, you might want to delay applying for Final Order because once divorced, you lose certain financial rights eg to receive a surviving spouse’s pension if the other party dies before matters are resolved. Get advice before making the divorce final. Beware of the remarriage trap too. If you get divorced, then re-marry without starting a financial remedy claim then you lose the right to do so. Thus, it is so important to resolve financial matters as early as you can.
If the applicant doesn’t apply, the respondent can apply three months after the six-week period ends (so nine weeks after Conditional Order).
Total Timeline: How Long Does Divorce Actually Take?
Minimum timeline for the UK divorce process if everything goes smoothly:
- Week 0: Application filed.
- Week 1-3: Application processed, spouse responds.
- Week 20-21: Apply for Conditional Order.
- Week 23-24: Conditional Order pronounced.
- Week 29-30: Apply for and receive Final Order.
- Total: 26-30 weeks (six-seven months)
Realistic timeline: Most uncontested divorces take seven-nine months accounting for spouse response time, court processing, and any minor delays. If your spouse takes weeks to respond or you need alternative service, it could add more time depending on things like how long it takes to get a court hearing, how long it takes to effect service in accordance with the court order.
What “Uncontested” and “Contested” Actually Mean Now
This can be confusing because the terminology has changed. Under the no-fault system, you can’t easily contest the divorce itself. When people talk about “contested” or “uncontested” divorce now, they’re really talking about whether you agree on the financial settlement and children arrangements.
A cooperative (uncontested) divorce means both parties can reach agreement on financial matters and child arrangements without court intervention. You work together on the paperwork, respond promptly to requests, and avoid contested court hearings.
A disputed (contested) divorce means you can’t agree on finances or children, even though you can’t stop the divorce itself. Common causes include disagreements over financial settlement, child arrangement disputes, one party refusing to engage, or complex assets like business interests.
The divorce process (the 26 weeks to the Final Order) is the same regardless. What changes dramatically though is the financial settlement timeline and costs. Cooperative divorces, with agreed finances, take six-eight months total. Disputed divorces, with court hearings over finances or children, will typically take between 9-15 months or longer, with legal fees continuing to escalate throughout this period.
What Makes a Divorce Take Longer?
Several issues can push a divorce past the 26-week minimum. The most common are:
- A spouse who doesn’t respond, which means arranging alternative service.
- Difficulty locating a spouse or confirming their address.
- Problems with the marriage certificate, such as a translation or replacement being needed.
- Court backlogs.
A separate set of issues runs alongside the divorce without delaying the divorce itself, though they often take far longer to resolve. Where a court application is needed, you are usually talking months rather than weeks:
- Financial disputes that require court hearings.
- Complex assets that need expert valuation.
- Disputes over children that require separate applications.
Do You Need a Solicitor?
For the divorce paperwork itself, no — you can do it yourself online if it’s straightforward and you’re cooperating. DIY can make sense for you if you both agree to divorce, have minimal joint assets (under £10,000), no property owned together, no pensions to divide, no children, or you’ve already agreed arrangements.
Although you don’t have to have a solicitor to deal with children and/or financial remedy cases, it is desirable to have advice from a family law solicitor if you own property together, either of you has a pension worth dividing (especially final salary pensions which require specialist advice), there are complex assets like businesses or trusts, you can’t agree on financial split, or there are children and you disagree on arrangements.
The danger: The divorce is the easy part. Financial settlement is where people make expensive mistakes. Many people do the divorce paperwork themselves but hire a solicitor for the financial settlement, which can often be a smart compromise.
Financial Orders: Why They’re Separate and Crucial
Getting divorced and sorting out finances are two separate legal processes. The divorce ends your marriage, while a financial order divides your assets and usually closes all financial claims between you. You should have both as part of the separation process.
Without a financial order with a clean break clause in it, your ex would be able to claim against your assets years later, even after you’ve remarried. Ideally, aim to negotiate your financial settlement during the 20-week reflection period and get it drafted before applying for the Final Order.
Financial orders typically involve property division, pension sharing (often the second-biggest asset), savings splits, spousal maintenance, and child maintenance. For straightforward cases, this adds two-three months to your timeline. For complex cases with substantial assets or disputes, financial proceedings can take 12-18+ months. Understanding how pensions are valued and divided is particularly important for anyone with final salary schemes like NHS or Teachers’ pensions.
What About Children?
Children arrangements are also separate from the divorce. The court expects you to sort out where children will live and when they’ll see the other parent. Most parents work this out between themselves or through mediation. If you can’t agree, you must apply separately for a Child Arrangements Order. The divorce doesn’t wait for children’s arrangements to be sorted as they are considered parallel processes.
Can You Speed Up a Divorce?
No. The 20-week reflection period and six-week wait after Conditional Order are mandatory by law. Even if you both agree to everything, you’ve been separated for years, there are urgent reasons like remarrying, or you’re willing to pay more — the court can only reduce or waive these waiting periods in very rare circumstances. So, for all intents and purposes we can assume the 20-week reflection period and the 6 week waiting period after Conditional Order cannot be altered. They’re built into the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020.
What you can control is how quickly your spouse responds (by keeping communication amicable), how efficiently you gather documents, and how fast you negotiate finances by being reasonable and pragmatic.
Common Mistakes That Cost Time and Money
While you can’t speed up a divorce per se, there are things you can do that cost valuable time and money.
- Not Sorting Finances Before Final Order: Some people rush to get divorced, thinking they can sort finances later. Once divorced, you lose certain rights. Always get legal advice before making your divorce final.
- Assuming “Uncontested” Means Simple: The divorce itself can’t be easily contested, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be disputes over finances or children. Don’t assume it’ll be quick and cheap just because your spouse can’t stop the divorce.
- DIY Financial Settlement: While the divorce paperwork is straightforward, financial settlement is an extremely complex process, one with huge long-term implications. Saving £2,000 in legal fees but losing tens of thousands in your settlement is the worst-case scenario.
- Not Using the 20-weeks Productively: By the time the divorce is final, your financial order should be ready.
- Ignoring Pensions: Pensions are often the second-biggest asset after property. If your spouse has an NHS, Teachers’, or Civil Service pension, you need specialist advice on how these are calculated and shared.
- Thinking It’s “Only” 26 Weeks: The 26 weeks is just the divorce process. Financial settlement takes longer. If you have substantial assets or can’t agree, you’re looking at 12-18+ months total.
After Divorce: What Next?
After the divorce process is concluded, you receive your Final Order by email. There is no court appearance, no ceremony, you were married yesterday and are now divorced today. Once the process is complete, you are now able to remarry should you intend to.
Once your divorce is final, there are some important things you can and should immediately do:
- Immediately update your will (divorce voids provisions for your spouse but will not revoke the entire will).
- Separate joint accounts and credit cards.
- Update your name on official documents if you are reverting to a pre-marital name.
- Finalise your financial order if not done already.
- Sort out pension sharing arrangements if awarded (this will typically take an additional 3-4 months).
- Review insurance beneficiaries and any policies naming your spouse.
Quick Answers to Common Questions
How long does an uncontested divorce take in the UK? The divorce process itself takes a minimum of 26 weeks (about six months) from filing to Final Order, including a mandatory 20-week reflection period and six weeks after Conditional Order. When finances and children are agreed cooperatively, the whole process typically takes six-eight months total. If there are disputes over financial settlement or child arrangements, it can take 9-15 months or longer.
Can I speed up my divorce in the UK? No. The 20-week reflection period and six-week wait after Conditional Order are mandatory by law and can only be reduced in very rare circumstances eg severe illness where a financial order could be prejudiced by the usual waiting periods.
How much does an uncontested divorce cost in the UK? The court fee is £612. With basic solicitor support for a straightforward cooperative divorce where finances are agreed, total costs typically range from £2,112-£3,112. If there are disputes over financial settlement or children arrangements requiring court hearings, costs can reach £4,000-£8,000 for moderately disputed matters or £15,000-£30,000+ for highly complex cases. For a more detailed cost breakdown, check out our dedicated guide to the cost of divorce.
Can my spouse stop the divorce? No. Since April 2022, there’s no option to defend or stop the divorce itself. However, they can dispute financial settlements and child arrangements separately, which won’t prevent the divorce but will run alongside it and take longer to resolve.
What’s the 20-week reflection period for? It’s a mandatory waiting period giving couples time to sort out finances and children arrangements. Generally you can’t progress to Conditional Order until 20 weeks pass, even if you both agree on everything.
Can I get divorced in my first year of marriage? No. You must be married for at least 12 months before applying for divorce in England and Wales. The only option to end a marriage sooner than 12 months is an annulment. However, to qualify for an annulment you will need to show that the marriage was never legally valid (‘void’) or was legally valid but meets one of the reasons that makes it ‘voidable’.
Do I need a solicitor for divorce? Not for the divorce paperwork itself — you can do it online. However, you should get legal advice for financial settlement, especially if you have property, pensions, or significant assets to divide.
How WHN Solicitors Can Help
At WHN Solicitors, we handle hundreds of divorces each year — and understand the process inside out. Our expert team of family law specialists can handle all the divorce paperwork, guide you through the process, negotiate your financial settlement, draft your financial order to ensure a clean break, and advise you on pension division and both property and child arrangements.
The divorce might take 26 weeks minimum, but with the right advice behind you, we can ensure that this time is used productively while maximising your chances of a fair settlement.
Contact us today to find out how we can help you with your divorce process. We will explain what stage you are at in the timeline, what you can expect moving forwards, and how we can help you.
Email: david.connor@whnsolicitors.co.uk
Call: 01706 232039
Key Resources
For more detailed information on specific aspects of the divorce process, browse our additional resources:
