Family lawyers & divorce solicitors Cardiff

You are not legally required to use a solicitor to get divorced in the UK. Many people complete the divorce application themselves, particularly where there are no disputes.
However, legal advice is often helpful when finances, property, pensions, or children are involved. The divorce application only ends the marriage. It does not deal with financial claims or arrangements for children, which follow separate legal rules and stages. This is reflected in our complete guide to divorce in England and Wales.
In Cardiff, our divorce lawyers regularly advise people who are managing the application themselves but want to understand what still needs attention.

In England and Wales, the divorce process is now based on a no-fault system. This means you do not need to prove blame or explain why the marriage ended.
The application simply confirms that the marriage has irretrievably broken down, and the court must accept this. The reasons for the breakdown are not considered. Finances and arrangements for children are dealt with separately, which is why the legal test for divorce can be straightforward even when other issues take longer to resolve.

In the UK, divorce follows a fixed legal process, with minimum waiting periods between each stage. These timeframes apply even where both people agree.
In practice, a straightforward divorce usually takes several months from start to finish. The process often takes longer when finances or child arrangements have not been agreed upon, or when one person does not engage.
This is why there is often confusion about how much the process can realistically be delayed.

Financial matters are dealt with separately from the divorce itself. Finances can include property, savings, pensions, debts, and income. Any settlement must be fair, taking into account factors such as needs, available assets, and future earning capacity.
Even where agreement is reached through discussion or mediation, a financial order is usually needed to make the outcome legally binding. Without one, financial claims can remain open after the divorce has finished.

No. There is no automatic rule that assets are divided equally in a divorce.
The law does not work on fixed percentages. Instead, decisions are based on fairness, looking at factors such as needs, income, housing, and long-term financial security.
This is why the assumption that assets are split 50/50 in divorce often causes confusion. An equal division may be appropriate in some cases, but in others it would not meet those legal requirements.

How much a divorce costs will depend on what needs to be addressed. After an initial conversation, your solicitor can give you an indication of likely fees based on your situation. Where financial matters, property issues, or child arrangements are involved, the process may take longer and influence the overall cost. Our divorce costs and divorce fees guides explain this in more detail. We also offer a fixed-fee divorce service for straightforward cases.

Yes. Most cases are resolved out of court, but if a hearing is required you will attend Cardiff Civil and Family Justice Centre at 2 Park Street. Our solicitors will ensure you are fully prepared and supported throughout the process.

Cardiff Civil and Family Justice Centre is located at 2 Park Street in Cardiff city centre. It is around a 10–15 minute walk from Cardiff Central Station via Wood Street and St Mary Street towards the civic and castle area.

From our Cardiff office at Brunel House (CF24 0EB), the court is approximately a 15–20 minute walk via Queen Street towards Park Street and Cardiff Castle. Nearby cafés include Starbucks on St Mary Street, Pret A Manger on Queen Street and independent favourite Uncommon Ground Coffee Roastery in the Royal Arcade if you arrive early.

If driving, parking is available at NCP Greyfriars Road, St David’s Shopping Centre car park and Westgate Street car parks.

We do. All you need to do to begin the divorce process is to get a divorce application. There are a couple of ways to do this – you can either apply alone (as a sole applicant) or with your ex-partner (as joint applicants). Our Cardiff divorce lawyers recommend all of our clients that you decide this early so that you save time, reduce divorce costs, and prevent delays further down the line.

If you and your spouse or civil partner decide to divorce, and you’re both able to come to a reasonable agreement regarding childcare, financial arrangements and any other potential blockages or areas of disagreement, you should be able to get divorced without needing to appear in front of a judge.

While your divorce documents will still need to be filed in front of a local Cardiff court, you will not need to attend the courtroom in person.

You aren’t legally obligated to attend marriage counselling or family mediation before filing for a divorce. However, it may help your case if you and your partner have gone through every step to make your marriage, or civil partnership, work.

Here at Stowe, we can work with you to make your Cardiff divorce as quick and painless as possible. Our experienced team of family law solicitors in Cardiff are here to help you. For more information on the legal process, or to start divorce proceedings with a trust law firm in Cardiff, get in touch today.

Receiving divorce papers is always emotional – no matter how you feel about it. If you’re unsure what it even means it respond to a divorce application, simply put it means to agree you have received it and let the courts know if you want to dispute. However, knowing how to do so correctly can be difficult due to all the legal terms and expressions.

Our solicitors will work with you to complete the application and discuss it in a way that makes sense to you. We’ll ensure you get the best possible outcome for you and your family to move forward with life after divorce.

As the UK’s specialist family law firm, we are proud to support families across Cardiff and the South Wales region.

From our partnerships with Cardiff City FC and Techniquest to our support for cultural landmarks like the Wales Millennium Centre, Chapter, and the Museum of Cardiff, our lawyers are deeply involved in the city’s community. We are also dedicated to the well-being of families across Wales through our support of the Bevan Foundation, which works to tackle poverty and inequality.

To discover more about our work across the region, visit our local Cardiff partnerships page.

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