Nicola Williams & Co

Divorce is not something to be taken lightly. It has important legal as well as emotional consequences.

However, some people feel confident that they can complete the paperwork by themselves without employing a solicitor.

You can download a divorce petition on the court service website.

It is free to all. You can access it without paying any fee.

Notes to help you complete it are also provided by the court service free of charge.

But it is important that you realise that no advice is given or implied with it and it is your own responsibility to take legal advice before using it.

We recommend that you seek advice on all aspects of your divorce before using any "do it yourself" service if you have any doubt whatsoever about your rights - particularly in relation to property as these can be significantly affected by divorce and how the petition is filled in.

If, like most people you want to make sure that your divorce proceeds smoothly and with the minimum of delay, and costly mistakes, use a solicitor to act on your behalf.

Any website claiming to have 25% of the online divorce "market "or a specific percentage of the petitions filed without using a solicitor should be viewed with extreme caution.

There are presently no official statistics compiled by either the Ministry of Justice or the Office for National Statistics which calculate the number of people who issue divorce proceedings without a lawyer.

Any other source of data must which purports to be offical may not be accurate and could be designed to be deliberately misleading.

Don't be persuaded to part with your money to pay for DIY divorce. Do it yourself for free through the court service or use a solicitor.

Solicitors are trained and insured.

Internet divorce services which carry disclaimers are not allowed to offer advice and should be avoided.

There are many websites advertising "legal services" and calling themselves "divorce experts" or "lawyers". Details of how much they can "save" you is usually grossly exaggerated.

The vast majority are not solicitors, have little if any professional training, are not regulated and not insured against professional negligence - which means they cannot offer you the standard of service or the protection a solicitor can. Instead they try to lure you in with too good to be true offers.

You will often find their disclaimers hidden away in the small print. If in doubt check their details with the Law Society (www.lawsociety.org.uk) or Resolution (www.resolution.org.uk).

Technically there is no such thing as an online divorce. All paperwork ultimately has to follow the same route whether the forms are filled in online or not.

Original signatures are required by the court service on any petition sent to court to be issued. The court service only receives petitions and supporting documents presently by post. The court service will require your original marriage certificate and all paperwork is served by the court in the first instance by sending it out in first class post.

So, online divorce - whichever website you go to - is really only online form filling. Promises to complete your divorce in a matter of a few weeks are likely to be broken.

Most sites charge a fee to help you with this when you can actually access free help on the court service website.

If you want to fill in your own divorce petition and have us check it for you we can do this for a fixed fee of £75 (offer only available if we are dealing with your financial agreement/order). Call us for more details or email us on nicola@nicolawilliams.co.uk

Online Divorce

What is an online divorce

Take a look at our fees. It costs less than you may think.

Mediation

What is family mediation?

Mediation FAQ

Ancillary Relief

What is ancillary relief?
Ancillary relief FAQ
Role of the court
Flowchart

Separation

Separation FAQ