The length of time that an international divorce takes to finalise, from petition to decree absolute, can vary depending on your circumstances.

Divorces involving high net worth individuals with international assets, can take much longer, as complex negotiations need to take place to work out how to split these.

As a very rough estimate, we tell our clients to expect an international divorce to take around 4 to 6 months. However, it can take significantly longer than this. The best way to ensure the process goes forward as quickly as possible is to seek the help of an international divorce lawyer, who will have direct access to international divorce networks and knowledge of country divorce laws.

Yes, you can get an international divorce in England. However, in order to proceed with the process through English courts, you would need a sufficient connection with England and Wales.

For example, if you are habitually resident in England and Wales, you may be eligible to get an international divorce here, even if you were married elsewhere.

English and Welsh divorce law (Scottish law is a separate system) is known worldwide for being much more generous than some other jurisdictions towards the ‘financially weaker’ party. Indeed, London has become known as the international ‘divorce capital’ of the world for this very reason.

In order to get an international divorce in England and Wales, you (or your spouse) will have to fall into a particular category. Either:

• England or Wales was the last habitual residence of you and your spouse and one of you is still living there
• The respondent is habitually resident there
• The petitioner has lived in England or Wales for the 12 months just before starting the divorce proceedings
• The petitioner has lived in England or Wales for the 6 months just before starting the divorce proceedings and is domiciled there
• Both you and your spouse are domiciled in England and Wales

There may also be some other limited circumstances where you could find that you could proceed with an international divorce in England and Wales, although this is often only if you or your spouse is domiciled there.

When thinking about where you may be eligible for an international divorce, it can be helpful to consider things such as where you and your spouse were born and where you both live now.

The rules regarding where you may be able to get an international divorce are quite complex, so it is important to speak to an experienced international divorce solicitor about your particular circumstances. However, whether or not you may be permitted to file for divorce in England and Wales, largely depends on where you and your spouse are habitually resident and where you are domiciled.