Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Divorce definition

What does Divorce mean? Divorce is the court process that ends a marriage and allows remarriage. In practice it involves a divorce application and, often in parallel, financial remedies (ancillary relief) and child arrangements, which are separate. In England and Wales (Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020; Matrimonial Causes Act 1973), a no‑fault regime applies: a sole or joint application is made on the single ground of irretrievable breakdown, evidenced by a statement. The court issues a conditional order and, after the statutory minimum period, a final order (replacing decree nisi/absolute). In Scotland (Divorce (Scotland) Act 1976), irretrievable breakdown is proved by adultery, unreasonable behaviour, or...

Divorce Centres: centralised issuing, hearings, financial remedies, Children Act and urgent applications; administrative de-linking and transition to Stoke-on-Trent Civil and Family Service Centre (England and Wales) [Archived]

Published by a LexisNexis Family expert

Practice notes

ARCHIVED: This archived PrACTice Note outlines developments following the establishment of Divorce centres and the shift to centrally issuing proceedings. It identifies the locations of the divorce centres and the dates they commenced operation. It also sets out how this impacts Financial remedy applications, Children Act 1989 applications, divorce proceedings, the handling of urgent applications and, where a hearing is required, the venue at which it will be held. For further information about changes to divorce centres and the Civil and Family Service Centre at Stoke on Trent, see Practice Note: The Courts and Tribunals Service Centre and divorce centres.

Civil and Family Service Centre at Stoke on Trent

The Practice Note describes the current approach to issuing divorce petitions and financial remedy applications across the 11 centralised divorce centres in England and Wales. Do note that, in May 2019, within his View from the President’s Chambers, the President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, confirmed that the 11 Divorce Service Centres were being phased out during the then-current 12‑month period, to be superseded by an online system run from the new national Civil and Family Service Centre at Stoke on Trent.

Divorce centres HM Courts and Tribunals Service...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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