Undefended Divorce

The vast majority of divorces are not defended, meaning that both spouses accept that the marriage is over. In these cases, it is usually possible for your divorce to be processed by the Courts in as little as 6 months as long as you have the right legal advice and support to ensure the divorce process runs smoothly.

Even when both parties agree to the divorce, there are usually various important details to sort out, including financial settlements and arrangements for any children you have. Our divorce solicitors around the UK can help you quickly resolve these issues using non-confrontational methods, including mediation and collaborative law. This allows you to finalise your divorce and move on as soon as possible.

We understand that even when a divorce is undefended, emotions can still run high. Our experienced divorce lawyers offer calm, objective advice to keep your interests protected. By aiming for a non-confrontational divorce, we can usually help you to maintain a positive relationship with your former spouse, something that can be essential if you have children together that you need to continue to co-parent.

Our goal is to help you achieve a fast, fair divorce that allows you to quickly move on, while still ensuring your best interests are protected throughout.

Get in touch with our highly experienced divorce solicitors for help with your undefended divorce by contacting your local HCB office.

How we can help you have a quick, stress-free undefended divorce

When you and your spouse agree that your marriage is over, it is generally in both parties’ interests to sort out all of the legal details as quickly as possible with the minimum of stress and conflict. Our expertise in non-confrontational divorce means we can usually help make this happen while keeping the cost to a minimum.

Our approach revolves around two main methods – mediation and collaborative law. The aim is to allow you and your former spouse to agree details, such as a financial settlement and arrangements for children, without the need for court action.

Mediation

When you use mediation for your divorce, both you and your ex will meet with a trained, neutral mediator who will encourage you to talk through any areas of dispute. They will then guide you towards agreeing mutually acceptable solutions so these issues can be quickly resolved.

Once you have agreed the details of your divorce with your spouse, you are then free to have the agreement reviewed by your solicitor to ensure your interests are not being compromised before you formally agree to the terms.

Collaborative law

This involves you and your spouse sitting down to negotiate the details of your divorce, each supported by your own solicitor trained in collaborative law. This gives you the benefit and reassurance of having expert legal advice on hand and can be a good option if there are more complicated issues to resolve.

When you choose a collaborative law approach, both spouses and your lawyers will sign an agreement pledging you to the collaborative law process. This means your lawyers will not be able to represent you if you later decide to take your divorce to court and ensures everyone is fully committed to making the process a success.

Consent orders

While mediation and collaborative law both revolve around voluntarily agreeing the details of your divorce, it is usually advisable to have your agreement formalised with a consent order. This is a type of court order that will set out the details both parties have agreed to and make the agreement legally binding. This gives you both certainty for the future, preventing either of you breaking the agreement at a later date because you changed your mind.

Why choose HCB for your undefended divorce?

HCB is a large network consisting of 24 local offices spread across the Midlands, South East (including London), North West and South Wales. This gives us a really strong network of solicitors with a wide range of specialist knowledge to call on, while also allowing us to offer a convenient local service to clients throughout England and Wales.

Non-confrontational divorce is one of our core specialties, with many of our solicitors being trained in mediation and collaborative law. A number of our family lawyers are members of Resolution, a network of legal professionals dedicated to non-confrontational approaches to family legal issues. This reflects our commitment to helping our clients get divorced with the minimum possible conflict.

Our approach means your divorce can usually proceed faster, with less stress and emotional fallout, and cost less than if you take your divorce through the courts. That said, we also appreciate that in some cases going to court is the best or only option. Where this is the case, we have the experience to represent your interests effectively and achieve a fair outcome for you and your loved ones.

Get in touch with our expert non-confrontational divorce solicitors

Looking for a fast resolution to your undefended divorce? Contact our highly experienced divorce solicitors by getting in touch with your local HCB office