No-fault divorce: Important dates

The no-fault divorce is to be introduced on Wednesday 6^th April 2022. The Government have now published key dates, including cut off dates in relation to existing applications under the existing legislation . We have been notified by HMCTS   of a five-day period when it will not be possible to apply for a divorce whilst their IT systems are installed .

If you have already started an online application for a divorce, using the current divorce law, you will need to ensure  the application is submitted by 4pm on Thursday 31^st March 2022 at the latest. If you miss this deadline, and do not submit the petition ,then it will likely be rejected by the court and another application will have to be prepared and submitted after 6^th April 2022. If an application is submitted after 6^th April 2022, the new no-fault divorce law must be relied upon.

Both the online portal and paper application service will close from Thursday 31^st March 2022 – Tuesday 5^th April 2022. This will allow for the transition, and all relevant updates to the process to be made.

From Wednesday 6^th April 2022, the new paper and online divorce service will be made available.

More information about the no-fault divorce can be found here.

Johnson Astills offer comprehensive and detailed  First Fixed Fee appointments in relation to all matters . More details can be found here. We also offer a fixed fee package for divorce matters, which can be found here.

If you are considering divorce proceedings or need assistance with current proceedings, please do not hesitate to contact Johnson Astills to discuss your queries with one of o=the specialists in our Family Law Department.