According to Google search statistics, on average, ‘How to get a divorce?’ is googled 6.2k times a month.
Julian McCarthy, Specialist Divorce Solicitor at Howells Solicitors, says that these figures may be up slightly from the norm due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s likely because the pandemic has forced many of us to spend all our time at home, and with the added tension of many people losing their jobs, that divorce rates may well be higher than previous years.
“The divorce process itself, however, relies on whether your relationship meets a certain criteria. You need to have been married for over a year and the marriage needs to have broken down permanently. You must also be domiciled or habitual resident in England and Wales and the marriage must be fully-recognised here.
“If these are met, those concerned will need to obtain a decree absolute. To do this, a divorce petition form is submitted, the court sends a petition to the respondent, the petitioner files for a ‘decree nisi’, a financial order application is made followed by the application for a decree absolute.”
Another top question was ‘How much does a divorce cost?’, averaging over 5k monthly searches.
“This is dependent on everyone’s individual circumstance. Although, if there is a dispute, it can cost couples in excess of £25,000 each. It does depend on whether a lawyer is used, whether an application is contested, and the nature of the divorce solicitor appointed. At Howells, we offer a fixed price, fully managed divorce service, representing couples throughout the divorce process.
“The average cost of a divorce proceeding for a petitioner is usually around £1,000.00 plus VAT. The court fees are £550.00 but will rise to £592.00 in October 2021.and then another £1,500 plus VAT for a straightforward Consent Order. If negotiations become more protracted, then fees can be higher.
“However, other costs could include renting accommodation once one member of the party moves out, and giving the other party some sort of settlement.”
Also featuring among the most Googled questions, was ‘How many marriages end in divorce?’
“The cliché is that half of marriages end in divorce, but it’s more complex than this. When we look at specific age groups the numbers vary quite a bit. The most recent figures show that 10 years of marriage results in 20.1% divorces, 20 years equates to 37.2% and 30 years of marriage results in 43.6% of divorces.”
The fifth most popular divorce question asked by Brits is ‘How do I find my divorce records for free?’. Julian answers this:
“Obtaining divorce records from the UK is relatively straight forward. You should either contact the solicitor who acted for you in the divorce proceedings. Alternatively, you can contact the County Court where the divorce was heard and they can send you a copy for a small fee.
You will need to provide the court staff with both parties names, the court case reference and the date that the Decree Absolute was granted.”
One of the less frequently asked divorce questions was “How is a house divided in a divorce?”
“There is no definitive answer to this, unfortunately, as a property is seen as a shared marital asset. When assets are divided as a result of a divorce, the courts will take numerous factors into account. These include income and earning capacity, property or other financial resources, the value of properties owned by the couple, needs and obligations each spouse has, age and duration of the marriage.
“If there are other family members involved such as children, then contributions to family welfare and welfare of the children themselves is also taken into account.”
