Advice

If the Pension in your divorce was under-valued you will have lost thousands of pounds. Divorce Lifeline check this for you at no cost - and if you have a claim it DOES NOT involve your former spouse at all.

Obtaining a divorce can be straightforward if both parties agree that the marriage is over. However, difficulties can arise in resolving how and when to separate, where to live, and the arrangements for children and finances.

The only grounds for divorce are that your marriage has irretrievably broken down and one of five 'facts' must be proved:

(1)adultery
(2)unreasonable behaviour
(3)desertion for at least two years
(4)separation for at least two years with consent
(5)separation for over five years (consent not required)

If one of the five facts applies, what happens next?
It is often sensible to try to obtain your partner's consent to the divorce and try to reach agreement over the contents of the petition. Only a brief outline of circumstances needs to be given at this stage.

What about the children?
A form is also sent to the court with the divorce petition which will outline the arrangements for your children. The law encourages couples to try to agree those arrangements. Divorce proceedings still continue if no agreement is reached.

How long does the divorce process take?
The divorce takes approximately four-six months although the Decree Absolute is often not obtained until the finances are resolved. This may be much later.

Click for the procedure to issue divorce proceedings.

(All information courtesy of Blake Lapthorn Tarlo Lyons)

Advicenow is an independent, not-for-profit website providing accurate, up-to-date information on many rights and legal issues including divorce

Armchair Advice includes tools to assess the strength of your relationship; guidance and practical strategies to help you improve it; financial, emotional advice and divorce law, if you decide to end your relationship or marriage; and helpful tips on starting afresh.

Help and Advice for all aspects of everyday life - money, health, education, legal system: anything you might need extra help with whilst going through a divorce.

Advice re. relationship breakdown and your children, solicitors, courts, child’s welfare during court proceedings and getting a divorce

An independent group of professionals providing divorce advice, support and information.

Started in 1999, Divorce Aid now helps thousands of people across the UK and internationally every week.
Their motto is: 'Whatever your situation and wherever you are, we hope to provide divorce advice, support and information on any matter concerning you.'
The welfare of any child involved is paramount and they promote mediation and counselling as well as good, professional legal advice. They also promote collaborative family law as a new dignified approach to divorce.

Full of information and useful advice and links – set up by a divorced accountant who did a lot of research and has found information and internet sites that helped him.

If you are going through a divorce and you and your ex-spouse are looking at dividing up your assets, the Court is required to take your pension rights into account.

Upon divorce, many women want to revert to their maiden name.

Divorce Recovery Workshop is a self-help course that will help you deal with
the emotional trauma of a relationship that has broken down.

The FMC is dedicated to working to promote best practice in family mediation

The Family Mediation Helpline is staffed by specially trained operators who provide:
• general information on family mediation;
• advice on whether your case may be suitable for mediation;
• information about eligibility for public funding, and;
• contact details for mediation services in your local area.

Family mediation is a voluntary process by which couples in dispute, particularly those going through separation or divorce, are helped to deal with arrangements for their future.

Many couples prefer to negotiate their own private arrangements with the assistance of a family mediator rather than put their decisions in the hands of the courts.

NFM is a network of local not-for-profit Family Mediation Services in England and Wales which offers help to couples, married or unmarried, who are in the process of separation and divorce.

Relate offers advice, relationship counselling, sex therapy, workshops, mediation, consultations and support face-to-face, by phone and through their website.

Resolution’s 5000 members are family lawyers committed to the constructive resolution of family disputes

A registered charity and voluntary organisation, SMC provide a specialist professional counselling service to the whole community, delivered in rural and urban locations throughout Scotland.
SMC relationship counselling services are available to couples or individuals who are married, living together, living apart, divorced or separated.

The UK College of Family Mediators - established in 1996 - sets standards for family mediation and maintains a register of family mediator members who meet those standards; it works to promote best practice in family mediation.
Their website has a Find A Mediator facility.

Agency set up to make sure parents who live apart from their children contribute financially to their upkeep by paying child maintenance.

Families Need Fathers is a registered UK charity which provides information and support to parents, including unmarried parents, of either sex. FNF is chiefly concerned with the problems of maintaining a child's relationship with both parents during and after family breakdown
Families Need Fathers is firstly a social care organisation, concerned with a particular area of child welfare

The National Council for the Divorced & Separated.
NCDS Phoenix branches provide a safe environment for you to go out and socialise with others in a similar position as yourself and help you to make new friends. It can be difficult to go out and meet new people and trying to start again after a divorce

SeparatedDads was formed to offer a unique reference point on being away from or separated from your children

Putting children first in Family courts
Cafcass champions the interests of children involved in family proceedings, advising the family courts in England on what it considers to be in the best interests of individual children.

Agency set up to make sure parents who live apart from their children contribute financially to their upkeep by paying child maintenance.

Helpline for children - Calls to ChildLine are confidential

Website for 13-19 yr olds

One Parent Families / Gingerbread is an independent charity working to promote the interests and welfare of lone parents and their children.

Are you worried your parents are splitting up? If so, this website is to help you understand and feel a bit better.

A Child Contact Centre is a safe, friendly and neutral place where children of separated families can spend time with one or both parents and sometimes other family members. They are child-centred environments that provide toys, games and facilities that reflect the diverse needs of children affected by family breakdown.

If you have recently become a single parent or if you have been one for years, or indeed you are on the verge of separating, you will find this a useful resource.

OnlyMums, working in partnership with professionals nationwide, gives practical, comprehensive and up-to-date information to support you through seperation and divorce.

Stepfamily Scotland understands the problems that stepfamilies face. If you are in a stepfamily already, or about to become part of one, Stepfamily Scotland can provide helpful advice and support.

Site for children who witness domestic violence at home

Advice on family matters arising out of separation and divorce.

Families Need Fathers is a registered UK charity which provides information and support to parents, including unmarried parents, of either sex. FNF is chiefly concerned with the problems of maintaining a child's relationship with both parents during and after family breakdown

The Family Mediation Helpline is staffed by specially trained operators who provide:
• general information on family mediation;
• advice on whether your case may be suitable for mediation;
• information about eligibility for public funding, and;
• contact details for mediation services in your local area.

Many couples prefer to negotiate their own private arrangements with the assistance of a family mediator rather than put their decisions in the hands of the courts.
Family mediation is a voluntary process by which couples in dispute, particularly those going through separation or divorce, are helped to deal with arrangements for their future.

NFM is a network of local not-for-profit Family Mediation Services in England and Wales which offers help to couples, married or unmarried, who are in the process of separation and divorce.

One Parent Families/Gingerbread is an independent charity working to promote the interests and welfare of lone parents and their children.

Site with helpful advice for parents

SeparatedDads was formed to offer a unique reference point on being away from or separated from one's children

If you are in a stepfamily already, or about to become part of one, Stepfamily Scotland can provide helpful advice and support.