Receiving divorce petition papers means your spouse has started the legal process to end your marriage. Under England and Wales' 'no-fault' divorce system (since April 2022), you cannot contest the divorce itself — but you absolutely can and should engage with the financial and child arrangements that follow.
In England and Wales, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 introduced no-fault divorce. Either spouse can apply without blaming the other. Once a petition (now called a 'divorce application') is issued, there is a mandatory 20-week reflection period before the 'conditional order' (previously 'decree nisi') can be granted. A further 6 weeks and 1 day must pass before the 'final order' (previously 'decree absolute') ends the marriage. Crucially, you cannot be forced to agree on financial matters or child arrangements by the divorce timeline itself — these are separate proceedings that often take much longer.
You should receive an 'acknowledgement of service' form to return to the court. This doesn't mean you're agreeing to anything — it just confirms you received the papers.
There's no rush to finalise anything. The law builds in a minimum 26 weeks from application to conditional order. Use this time to gather financial information and get advice.
Both spouses must complete a Form E (financial statement) if financial proceedings are started. Begin collecting mortgage statements, bank accounts, pensions, property valuations, and debts.
Before going to court for financial or child arrangements, you must attempt mediation (or show you have a valid reason not to). Mediation is faster and cheaper than court.
The marriage only legally ends when the final order is granted. Some pension and inheritance rights exist during marriage — speak to a family lawyer about the right timing to apply for the final order.
Describe exactly what happened and the AI will give you personalised next steps — free.
Under the current no-fault system in England and Wales, you cannot prevent a divorce if your spouse wants one. You can delay it slightly but not stop it. The focus should be on reaching fair financial and child arrangements.
Divorce and finances are legally separate. The divorce can proceed without financial matters being resolved, but you should not allow the final order to be granted before financial matters are agreed — as this affects certain claims.
A minimum of 26 weeks from application to conditional order, then 6 more weeks to the final order — so roughly 7-8 months minimum if uncontested. Financial and child proceedings can take much longer.
Not legally, but for complex finances, pensions, property, or children's arrangements, legal advice is strongly recommended. A consent order must be approved by a court to be legally binding on financial settlements.
Get specific guidance for your exact situation — free, instant, in plain English.
Get free legal guidance →