1. Divorce or judicial separation petition

    To start your divorce or judicial separation, you must complete a copy of the 'Divorce/judicial separation petition (Form D8)' and send it to the court. The divorce or judicial separation petition essentially asks the court for a divorce or judicial separation from your spouse.

  2. Application for a decree nisi or judicial separation decree

    The court will send the petition to your spouse and any co-respondent. The court will ask them to acknowledge that they have received it and to confirm whether they agree or disagree with their contents. This is formally referred to as 'Acknowledgement of service', and once this has been done, you may apply for a decree nisi or judicial separation decree.

    You must complete the document 'Application for a decree nisi/judicial separation decree (Form D84)' and one of the following documents, depending on the ground of your divorce:

    • Statement in support of divorce/judicial separation - adultery (Form D80A)
    • Statement in support of divorce/judicial separation - behaviour (Form D80B)
    • Statement in support of divorce/judicial separation - desertion (Form D80C)
    • Statement in support of divorce/judicial separation - 2 years' consent (Form D80D)
    • Statement in support of divorce/judicial separation - 5 year separation (Form D80E)

    The court will then consider all of the relevant information and decide whether you can have a decree. If so, then the court will take the first step in your divorce, called 'pronouncing decree nisi', or the final step in your judicial separation granting you a decree.

  3. Decree nisi to decree absolute

    The final stage of the divorce process is called the 'decree absolute', which is the official divorce allowing you to remarry. In order to make an application for a decree absolute, you must complete the document 'Notice of application for decree nisi to be made absolute (From D36)'. This you must send to the court at any time from six weeks and one day after the date that your decree nisi was pronounced, but preferably before the lapse of 12 months.