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We are more than your normal divorce solicitors, we care.

We have a wealth of experience in dealing with these sensitive situations and will provide clear, cost-effective, tailored advice that is designed to empower you to make the best decisions for you and your family.

We work hard to make the process easier to understand, pick up the conversations that our clients cannot face and guide them through the process with empathy, reassurance, and a team of experienced family law solicitors. We are regularly called upon from the beginning, before any decisions have been made, or even to provide a second opinion where clients are unhappy with their current representation.

We recommend seeking advice as early as possible to discuss what to consider and what, if any, immediate actions may be required. This will help to avoid complications down the line, relating to finance matters or child arrangements, giving you the knowledge and understanding of the issues and making the path you choose less daunting. In certain circumstances there can also be significant risks avoided, or benefits gained through early advice, such as identifying tax issues.

We strive to get the best, most cost and time effective result for you and your family. The significant majority of our cases are settled out of court and we have expertise in navigating all out of court processes. Our divorce solicitors also recognise that there are times when going to court is necessary and can also deal with complex court proceedings both in Reading, and nationwide across the UK. 

What makes our divorce services different?

Flexible and bespoke support
We tailor our support based on your individual needs and can draw on expertise in other legal areas to ensure every angle is covered, from property to business interests.

We ensure every angle is covered
We have extensive external networks that mean we can signpost you to and work with other services that may be beneficial, such as counselling, financial advice and coaching, to help with property and business to ensure you have the full support you require.

Joint services for separating couples
Separating on amicable terms and want a single expert to provide guidance? We were one of the first law firms in the country to offer a range of innovative one couple, one professional services. We will help you to understand if these are right for you, potentially saving you time and money.

You are in control of the costs
We know how worrying the cost of a divorce or separation can be and will work with you to find the most cost-effective way of supporting you. We are flexible with how much support you require, offering a variety of options to suit your budget. We keep you fully informed of all costs and future costs on a regular basis and always keep proportionality under review.

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Divorce FAQs

How long does a divorce take?

It will take at least 6 months to finalise a divorce, even if the circumstances are relatively straightforward. It can often take longer to complete a divorce if there are other matters such as financial arrangements, or child arrangements to sort out first. On average, a timeframe of 9 to 12 months is likely if matters are resolved out of court.

Once you apply for a divorce, there are two key waiting periods within the process. The first is a 20-week period between the court receiving the application and when the conditional order can be granted, aimed at providing time to consider financial and child matters. The second is 6 week period once the conditional order has been granted, and before you can apply for the final divorce order. However, there are often important reasons why people should wait longer before obtaining the final divorce order.

How much does a divorce cost?

To process the divorce application, there is a standard court fee of £593. The costs of dealing with the divorce application are usually easy to predict and we can discuss with you whether you want to deal with this yourself to save costs or have assistance completing the necessary forms, usually for an agreed fixed fee.

It is important to remember that the cost of solicitors will be more relevant to issues concerning the finances or children that will need to be addressed alongside the divorce. These costs will vary depending on the complexities you face, whether there are issues that are disputed and how such disputes are resolved. It is here that our advice is likely to add the most value.

We offer flexible and bespoke approaches to legal fees, including offering both fixed-fee or hourly rate approaches. We will always discuss costs with you and the proportionality of invested in legal support.

We offer free exploratory calls to understand your circumstances, answer initial questions and give you a better idea of costs based on your circumstances.

Do I need a solicitor for a divorce?

With the help of an experienced divorce solicitor, you will benefit from their knowledge helping to end the marriage on the best possible terms, save time and hopefully make the process a little less stressful.

Most people have not been through a divorce before and therefore are unsure of what to expect or plan for. A family law solicitor will help you on a wide range of matters, making sure you make the right decisions for you and your family.

You do not have to use a solicitor throughout the whole divorce process if you do not want too, or cannot afford too. We recommend that investing in early advice is best to help you avoid potentially costly mistakes. We can then discuss with you and guide you on the best level of support for your circumstances and budget.

How do child arrangements work?

We recognise that for any parent going through a divorce, the wellbeing and care of any children is likely the most important and often sensitive topic of all. In most cases, unless one of the parents poses a risk, any arrangements are likely to allow for both parties to see and care for their children. This arrangement can be informal, and agreed by both parties, or can be put in place more formally, potentially even via a court order. Our expert family lawyers can help guide you on the things that you need to consider and help you to put the right arrangements in place.

How are finances divided in divorce?

There are lots of factors in play for dividing finances in a divorce which can make this a complex issue. Financial settlements need to be carefully considered given they often represent some of the biggest financial decisions that people will make in their lives and can include assets such as the family home, businesses, trusts, and pensions. There may also be complications as to whether some assets are non-matrimonial in nature, such as inherited money or post-separation accrual. The individual needs and circumstances of both parties will also have to be understood and considered, as well as those of any dependent children.

Our divorce solicitors help separate finances in a fair, cost-effective way and are advocates for negotiation to achieve the best results, settling out of court if possible.

Read more on finances in divorce.

How does a divorce work?

In a divorce, there are four key stages.

  1. The divorce application is prepared – either a sole or joint application.
  2. The application is submitted to the divorce centre, with the £593 court fee paid, and either both parties confirm the details under a joint application or the respondent party will be served if it is a sole application. Service will usually be done electronically and that party should then complete an acknowledgement of service.
  3. A conditional order is applied for (after the divorce application is acknowledged by your spouse and a 20-week cooling-off period from the date of the application has passed).
  4. A final order is applied for (a minimum of 6 weeks after you have received the conditional order).

Alongside your divorce, to address your finances, a separate financial court order must be made. This is a legally binding order that sets out how assets and wealth will be split and it must be applied for separately from the divorce process itself. If there are children involved, child arrangements should also be addressed and it is usually beneficial to record what is agreed, either privately in a parenting agreement or more formally in a court order.

Can I use the same solicitor as my spouse?

Yes, it is possible to use the same solicitor to assist you both with your divorce. However, you will need to consider carefully whether this is right for you. If there is a high level of conflict, many issues that are potentially in dispute or complex issues then this is unlikely to be the way forward.

However, divorce and separation does not always involve conflict. In cases where the divorce is amicable, with a high level of agreement on any financial or children issues, we offer a range of one couple one lawyer joint services to help separating couples achieve the best outcome for them and their families together.

Do I need to go to court in a divorce?

Whether you need to attend court for your divorce depends on the circumstances.

In most cases, it is unlikely you will need to go to court for the divorce proceedings and if you reach an agreement for a financial settlement, this will usually be dealt with on paper and without court attendance. Likewise, the majority of separating couples resolve any issues concerning their children without needing to involve the court.

If agreements cannot be reached, and if other methods such as mediation, arbitration or other out of court processes are not appropriate, it may be necessary to take the court route.

Court processes are often expensive and drawn out, the outcomes can be uncertain and the process can fuel conflict. Court can often have a negative impact on you, your ex-partner and the wider family, so staying out of court in a divorce is usually the best way forward unless it is unavoidable.

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Why use our divorce solicitors?

  • We pride ourselves on our outstanding level of service, and our entire family law team dedicate their time to understanding our clients need and ensure they work effectively as a team to achieve the desired goals.

  • We encourage mediation, arbitration and other constructive processes and aim to settle out of court where possible. Paul Linsell, our head of the family law team, is a fully accredited mediator with a national reputation for that work. Paul's role as a mediator is to unlock disputes, skilfully guide the discussions, provide relevant information, and to signpost you to other resources that will be helpful as the process unfolds. The mediator is neutral, but will assist you to understand what is important to you and ensure you can make fully informed decisions about the future for you and your family.

  • Boyes Turner is ranked as a leading law firm by the legal directories, Chambers UK, and The Legal 500 and has been for many years. When our clients require extra specialist guidance, we have other highly rated private client, claims, Wills, and Trusts and property solicitors too.

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