How Long Does a Divorce Take In the UK?

When it comes to divorce, one of the first questions people ask is, “How long does a divorce take in the UK?” It’s a fair question—knowing the timeline helps you prepare emotionally, financially, and logistically for what lies ahead.

As a family law solicitor, I’ve answered this question thousands of times.

For many, the answer isn’t straightforward, because the length of a divorce depends on several variables: the complexity of your financial settlement, whether children are involved, and how cooperative both parties are.

While the average divorce timescale for an uncontested divorce is 7–8 months, some cases move faster, and others drag on due to disputes or court delays.

It’s also worth considering your approach—whether you go through mediation, negotiate directly, or proceed to court will impact the timeline significantly.

Many people are surprised to learn that the mandatory 20-week cooling-off period introduced under the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 (no-fault divorce) is just one part of the process, not the whole story.

In this article, I’ll break down everything you need to know about divorce timelines in the UK, addressing key factors and answering questions I’ve encountered over the years.

My goal is to help you get a realistic picture of what to expect, avoid unnecessary delays, and choose the path that works best for your circumstances.

What Do Government Figures Show for Divorce Timescales?

On average, the time it takes to finalise a divorce in the UK, from start to finish, is around 7.5 months or 28 weeks.

Although the Ministry of Justice reports an average time of 62 weeks for the full divorce process, this can vary based on several factors.

At Divorce-Online, our experience with over 150,000 cases shows that most clients complete the process in 7 months, significantly faster than the government-reported average.

It’s essential to remember that while a divorce can take longer due to delays (e.g., unresponsive spouses or incorrect paperwork), it’s unlikely to take the full 62 weeks when you choose a reliable online service.

What Factors Can Extend The Divorce Process?

Some of the most common factors that can extend the process include:

Disputes

When there are disagreements over financial settlements, child custody, or the division of assets, the divorce process can take longer. Financial and property disputes are often the most complex part of a divorce.

Divorce Service

The choice of divorce service can make a huge difference. Online divorce providers are potentially faster than high-street solicitors. Attempting to complete your own divorce is the cheapest way to divorce, but it’s not the quickest or easiest.

Application Type

Joint divorce vs sole application. Applying together can be quicker if both parties maintain communication throughout and submit the forms when necessary. Sole applications can be faster in cases where a spouse ignores the divorce papers as you don’t need to start a new application.

Uncooperative Spouse

One of the most common reasons for delays is when a spouse is uncooperative or refuses to engage in the divorce process. This can happen when a spouse refuses to sign or acknowledge the divorce papers, ignores communication, or actively avoids the process.

Can I Speed Up the Divorce Process?

While some factors in the divorce process are beyond your control, there are several steps you can take to ensure things move as quickly and smoothly as possible.

By being proactive and prepared, you can reduce the time it takes to finalise your divorce.

Some ways to speed up the divorce process include:

• Being prompt with paperwork – This can often be the case when couples handle the divorce themselves. It’s easy to let life get in the way and let your divorce go by the wayside.
• Cooperate with your spouse – Maintain open communication with your spouse and seek their cooperation. If both parties are willing to work together, you can avoid common issues that cause delays, such as ignored paperwork or disputes over the terms of the divorce.
• Check for accuracy in divorce papers – Even minor mistakes, such as incorrect spelling or missing information, can result in your divorce application being rejected, forcing you to resubmit and wait for the court to process it again.
• Apply online rather than postal forms – Applying for a divorce online is one of the fastest methods available in the UK. Online divorces are easier to complete, involve fewer steps, and reduce the risk of paperwork errors that could delay the process.
• Have a financial agreement in place early on – Proceeding with a divorce without a financial settlement in place can create potential problems down the line. To prevent delays and avoid issues after the divorce is finalised, try to reach an agreement on how to divide assets (such as property, savings, or pensions) early in the process.

Other important factors that can speed up the divorce process:

• No children or custody disputes – Divorces involving children can introduce complications, particularly when parents disagree over custody or visitation rights. Without children, there’s no need for discussions or legal disputes over parental responsibilities.
• Prenuptial or nuptial agreements in place – A prenuptial or postnuptial agreement can drastically reduce the time it takes to finalise a divorce. Referring to an existing agreement allows both parties to bypass potentially contentious issues, keeping the divorce process smoother and quicker.
• No residential property ownership – When there’s no jointly owned property, the division of assets becomes far simpler. Property is often one of the most complex and contentious elements of divorce, particularly when there’s a disagreement over whether to sell or retain it.
• Open communication between both parties – Effective communication between divorcing parties is one of the most critical factors for speeding up the process. Couples who can discuss the terms of their divorce face-to-face, or even virtually, are more likely to reach agreements on important matters.

The Divorce Timeline: Step-by-Step Process

Here is a simplified breakdown of the divorce process in England and Wales:

1. Filing An Application – The first step involves submitting your divorce application. This can be done by one or both spouses, with most applications being filed online The application sets out the basic information about your marriage.
2. Acknowledgement from the Court – Once the application is submitted, the court reviews and issues an official confirmation that the process has begun. This step marks the start of the legal proceedings and indicates that your case is now in motion.
3. Notifying the Other Spouse (for Sole Applications) – For divorces initiated by only one spouse (sole applications), the court sends a copy of the divorce application to the other spouse. This ensures they are informed and can participate in the process. The spouse receiving the notice must acknowledge receipt, confirming they are aware of the proceedings.
4. The 20-Week Reflection Period – Once the court has issued the divorce, a mandatory reflection period begins. This period allows the couple time to consider the implications of their decision. Although this waiting period is legally required, it also provides time to address related issues such as finances or child custody arrangements.
5. Requesting the Conditional Order – After the reflection period, the next key step is applying for a Conditional Order. This stage confirms that the court sees no reason to stop the divorce. This order legally acknowledges that the marriage has broken down irretrievably.
6. Addressing Financial and Custody Matters – During the divorce process, financial and custody agreements can be made between the spouses or decided by the court. Finalising these agreements is crucial, as unresolved disputes can delay the Final Order.
7. Applying for the Final Order – The Final Order (formerly the Decree Absolute) is the document that legally ends the marriage. Once this order is granted, the marriage is officially dissolved, and both parties are legally recognised as divorced.

How long does an online divorce take?

An online divorce is the fastest route to get divorced.

In most cases, you can complete an online divorce from start to finish within seven to eight months.

In comparison with alternative options, such as do-it-yourself or instructing solicitors, it’s a much simpler and quicker solution.

When you compare this to the time it takes to complete a do-it-yourself divorce, it’s night and day.

The majority of people undertaking a DIY divorce will experience delays.

Alongside delays, most experience high levels of stress. Dealing with a legal procedure is hard.

It can become too much for some people, especially when coupled with a busy life. This is why thousands of people choose to get divorced online.

Why does a do-it-yourself divorce take longer than a divorce online?

If you’re selling a home, setting up a business, or renovating your garden, it’s usually quicker to hire professionals than to learn how to do it yourself.

The same can be said for divorce. Here are the main reasons why a do-it-yourself divorce is slower than getting a divorce online:

• Busy lives – Most people lead busy lives with work and/or children. Life can often get in the way of responding to the court, leading to prolonged divorce proceedings.
• Completing paperwork is slower – You will need to spend time reading the divorce forms and understanding what information is required at various stages.
• Errors in completing details – You are completing legal forms. The legal terminology is often not the most straightforward. If mistakes are made, this can cause delays.
• Understanding legal procedure – It can take time to understand what you need to do and when it needs to be done. This time leads to longer divorce proceedings.
• Dealing with your spouse – If a spouse ignores the divorce for whatever reason then further actions are required by the applicant.

For these reasons, a DIY divorce is not the quickest way to get divorced.

To learn more about the differences between divorce online and DIY divorce, read our detailed comparison – Comparison of Divorce-Online vs DIY Divorce.

What you’ll need to apply for divorce

Firstly, you need to know what requirements there are to start a divorce since the introduction of the no fault divorce law in April 2022.

To get an uncontested divorce through the court you’ll need to:

• Have been married for at least 12 months
• Have your marriage certificate (or certified copy of the original)
• Know the email address & residential address of your ex-spouse
• Pay the court fee of £593 (unless you’re exempt)

Unlike the previous divorce law where the majority of petitioners used unreasonable behaviour as the grounds for divorce, you now simply need to make a statement of irretrievable breakdown on the D8 divorce form.

Although your former partner cannot contest the divorce, you must still provide the court with an address where a copy of the divorce papers can be sent.

The divorce process does not change irrespective of whether you hire divorce solicitors, get divorced online, or opt for a DIY divorce.

How long does it take to get a financial settlement?

Reaching a financial settlement in divorce is often a complex and stressful matter.

The time it takes to get a financial settlement usually depends on how complex your financial situation is.

Do you have overseas property, investments, inheritance, and so on? Or do you simply have joint savings to divide?

If you can agree on the terms of your financial agreement before applying for the Final Order, it can ensure that your agreement becomes legally binding upon divorce.

Now, you can get divorced without a financial settlement in place, but that does come with some potential repercussions down the line.

What else can affect the timescale of a divorce?

The timescale for divorce will depend on many factors – some within your control and some outside of your control.

There are common things that delay divorce proceedings, so it’s always advisable to try and avoid those.

Other factors will be based on whether you submit a joint application for divorce with your partner or file as a sole applicant.

You would assume that filing together would be the quickest, but it can work the other way and actually cause more delays; if either party drags their heels or is inefficient at returning documents to the court.

It’s also quicker to apply for a divorce online over using the postal method or hiring solicitors.

How Divorce-Online can help you

The decision to get divorced is never easy, however, dealing with the legal process should be.

This, unfortunately, isn’t the case in most instances when you decide to handle your own divorce. Legal paperwork, court numbers, various applications, etc.

Why not take the stress out of your divorce proceedings and allow us to handle the entire process for you from start to finish for £249?