Family law solicitors & divorce lawyers Tunbridge Wells

The overall cost of a divorce will vary due to the complexity of the issues in your case, including any financial, property, or child arrangement matters. Once your solicitor has reviewed your situation, they will be able to outline an initial cost estimate. More information is available in our guides to divorce costs and family law fees. For straightforward divorces, a fixed-fee divorce option is also available.

If you are based in Tunbridge Wells, your hearing will usually take place at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court and Family Court on London Road (TN13 1HG), which serves the local area.

The court is around a 10–15 minute walk from Sevenoaks Station via London Road towards Sevenoaks Vine Cricket Club, and sits close to Knole Park and Sevenoaks Library, with nearby cafés including Starbucks at Bligh’s Meadow and Hattusa Coffee House on London Road if you arrive early.

From our Tunbridge Wells office at Town Hall on Civic Way, the court is approximately a 25–30 minute drive via the A26 and A21 towards Sevenoaks town centre, with parking available at Bligh’s Meadow Car Park and Suffolk Way Car Park within walking distance.

No, you don’t legally need a solicitor to get divorced in the UK. The application itself can be completed online, either by one of you or jointly.

But divorce only ends the marriage. It doesn’t sort out finances, pensions, property, or child arrangements. If there are assets or ongoing financial ties, it’s usually sensible to take advice to ensure they are legally binding and accurate. 

Our divorce solicitors in Tunbridge Wells regularly see clients who managed the paperwork themselves but later needed help resolving the financial side properly.

The divorce process in the UK is now based on no-fault. You no longer have to prove wrongdoing. You simply confirm that the marriage has irretrievably broken down.

One or both of you can apply. There is then a 20-week reflection period before you can apply for the Conditional Order. After that comes the Final Order, which legally ends the marriage.

What sometimes surprises people is that finances are dealt with separately. The divorce itself does not create a financial clean break. Our guide to getting a divorce in England and Wales explains the stages in more detail. It also includes what usually needs to be resolved alongside the legal ending of the marriage.

You do not have to be separated for any set period before starting a divorce in the UK.
Under no-fault divorce, you can apply as soon as you decide the marriage has irretrievably broken down. There is no requirement to wait one or two years, as there was under older legal routes. That change has simplified things considerably.
That said, being separated, whether living apart or simply living separate lives under the same roof, can still be relevant when sorting out finances. A divorce lawyer can advise on how separation may affect financial discussions in your particular circumstances.

There isn’t a fixed entitlement. People often assume it’s 50/50, which isn’t always the case. The court considers fairness. This depends on needs, income, housing, pensions, the length of the marriage, and whether there are children. In many cases, meeting housing needs, particularly where children are involved, carries significant weight.
Settlements can look very different from one family to another. That’s why agreements should be formalised in a financial order. Without that, financial claims can remain open. A divorce solicitor can advise on what may be realistic in your circumstances.

The starting point is always the child’s welfare. That doesn’t change.
There is no automatic rule that children live with their mother or their father. The court considers what arrangement best meets the child’s practical, emotional, and educational needs and provides stability.
Most child arrangement orders are agreed upon between parents without a final court hearing. Where agreement isn’t possible, the court considers routine, continuity, and each parent’s ability to provide safe, consistent care.
The focus is not on parental rights, but on what works best for the child. A family law solicitor can advise on how these decisions are usually approached and whether a formal order is necessary.

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