Do I have to go to court for my divorce?

Any good solicitor will take your case to court as a last resort. There are many other ways to try and reach a settlement before committing to the expense of court.

You could try things such as mediation (an independent third party there to aid discussion) or collaborative law (where you, your spouse and both of your solicitors meet and try to negotiate a settlement) or you could ask your solicitor to negotiate for you.

If nothing else works or your spouse is unwilling to be reasonable during negotiations then you can take your case to court. You could also go to court if your spouse refuses to give out any financial information.

Even if you do go to court, if you and your spouse reach an agreement about your settlement at any point then the case can stop. You don’t have to wait and let the judge decide. Family arbitration (where you pay someone to decide your settlement for you) is another alternative to court if negotiations aren’t successful. This is especially useful if you are a high net worth individual and you don’t want your settlement to be made public, or if you are worried about the press, as this process is completely confidential.

Contact us to see how we can help with your divorce

For more information on the divorce process call our team on 0845 862 5001 or email mail@austinkemp.co.uk.

We offer a nationwide service. We have client meeting office facilities available, in order to have face-to-face client meetings / conferences as and when required in:

Leeds Office: Princes Exchange, Princes Square, Leeds, LS1 4HY

Wakefield Office: Market Walk, Wakefield, WF1 1QR

Halifax Office: Old Lane, Halifax, HX3 5WP

Huddersfield Office: Northumberland Street Huddersfield, HD1 1RL

Coventry Office: Warwick Road, Coventry, CV1 2DY

Canary Wharf Office: 25 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5LB

Please contact us for more details.