Online Divorce Application Step-by-Step Guide

In the past, under the old divorce law, you needed to establish the breakdown of your marriage by using one of five available facts, or ‘grounds for divorce’, which were either fault-based or dependant on long periods of separation.

However, you no longer need to cite any of those grounds for divorce – you can now submit a divorce application solely on the basis of the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage – without having to blame your partner for adultery, desertion, or unreasonable behaviour or have lengthy separation periods of up to 5 years.

The new no-fault divorce law came into legal force on 6th April 2022 and also applies to civil partnership dissolution.

This change in divorce laws means that there is rarely ever a need to instruct divorce solicitors. “But, don’t I need a solicitor to get divorced?”

Put simply, 99% of the time, the answer will be no. You can easily start your divorce online for just £179 with our help.

There are 8 key stages to getting a divorce online that you must take in order to obtain a Final Order (decree absolute) to end your marriage, which are: –

1. Start the Divorce Application and Pay the Service Fee

One person or a couple can make a joint application to start a divorce petition on the basis of the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. You will need to pay the service fee, which starts from just £179 and is paid to file for divorce online. The divorce papers will then be drafted for you with a series of next steps to complete.

2. Acknowledgement of Service

The next step in the divorce process involves your partner being sent a copy of the divorce petition (Notice of Proceedings) and the Acknowledgement of Service (AOS) – Your partner, the respondent, has 14 days to complete and return the AOS to the court. They must return the AOS within 14 days of getting the notice of proceedings (if the court issued your divorce application on or after 6 April 2022) before the court will move the divorce application forward.

What Happens If My Spouse Doesn’t Sign Divorce Papers?

3. Twenty-week Reflection Period

The new divorce law has a minimum period of 20 weeks between the start of proceedings to confirming to the court that a conditional order of divorce is wanted. This mandatory ‘reflection period’ allows a greater opportunity for couples to reconcile or agree practical arrangements for the future where divorce is inevitable. Such matters could include child arrangements and the division of assets like pensions, property and savings & investments.

4. Application for Conditional Order (previously called Decree Nisi)

After the mandatory reflection period, you can ask the court to proceed with the divorce. The legal statement confirming the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage made at the application stage counts as conclusive evidence and cannot be contested, either by the court or a spouse. The court will issue a Certificate of Entitlement to confirm the date of your Conditional Order, and this typically takes a few weeks.

5. The Court Grants the Conditional Order

At this point, the court has granted the divorce, and there is a further mandatory six-week ‘cooling-off period’ before you are able to apply for the Final Order. The cooling-off period is intended for amicable couples to submit their financial order (consent order) to the court for approval.

What Is a Financial Consent Order?

6. Application for Financial Consent Order

Couples who have had a solicitor draft them a divorce financial order can now apply to the court for its approval. If you submit the financial order at this time it is usually granted alongside your Final Order.

7. Application For Final Order (previously called Decree Absolute)

Apply to the court for your Final Order to legally end your marriage.

8. The Court Grants the Final Order

The divorce Final Order will usually be granted within 24 hours.

A no-fault divorce in England and Wales will take approximately 6 to 7 months from Application to Final Order in most straightforward cases where all forms are promptly signed and returned.

Is this the case for most applicants? Not necessarily – Government figures show the average time for a divorce to be completed in 2025 was roughly 43 weeks (10 months).

Is online divorce safe and legal in the UK?

We regularly get asked this question, to which the answer is of course, yes.

We have been providing UK couples with a safe and legal uncontested divorce solution as an alternative to using traditional high-street solicitors since 1999!

Now, under the new no-fault divorce law, the ability for a spouse to contest a divorce is removed, so the majority of divorce cases in England and Wales will have the agreement of both parties. Therefore, you can feel comfortable using an online divorce service without hiring expensive solicitors.

When deciding how to proceed with a divorce, the cost is always one of the main factors, alongside how quickly the divorce can be obtained with minimum stress, which is just where Divorce-Online specialises.

If you are still unsure whether an online divorce is right for you please read through our reviews on Trustpilot.

Is the Online Divorce Process Different From a High Street Solicitor?

No, the divorce process does not change and the same exact procedure needs to be followed regardless of whether you do it yourself, do it online, or use a traditional high-street solicitor.

An online divorce simplifies the process of getting a divorce by removing the need to visit offices to complete paperwork. This can now be done easily by uploading documents, and using phone, email, Skype, WhatsApp and live chat.

There are several benefits to getting a divorce online, but the legal procedure is not one of them.

Here are the steps you will need to follow to end your marriage with Divorce-Online: –

1) Pay the service fee

Applying online requires you to make a secure payment for your desired service. This can be done either online or via the phone on 01793 384 029

2) User accesses an online account

You will be provided with login details to our online divorce system, which enables you to complete your divorce documents and track your divorce.

3) User completes a set of questions

These questions will be basic personal and marriage details, which will then enable us to start drafting your divorce papers for you.

4) Divorce documents are drafted

Your dedicated personal case manager will draft your divorce papers from the information you have provided us with to ensure they are correct.

5) Case manager edits and checks documents

Your case manager will check your divorce petition to ensure it’s correct and make any necessary edits before they are sent out to you.

6) User is sent divorce papers to sign

Your completed divorce documents will be posted to you for signature. Once you’ve signed the papers, you will need to return them back to us.

7) Case manager progresses with your application

Your divorce petition will be sent into court and divorce proceedings will be initiated. Your case manager will then process all other applications until you receive your decree absolute.

8) User tracks divorce process online

Log in to your online case area and track the progress of your divorce case from start-to-finish. This feature is excellent for busy people and those that aren’t confident in completing the divorce process themselves.

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