Can I still get divorced during Covid-19?

The simple answer is yes! At Wolferstans, although our offices are shut, our teams are still working from home and we continue to do work for clients, both existing and new. We have adapted our processes so that we can advise clients in meetings organised by telephone or on a virtual platform like Skype.

The Divorce Centres are still open, so divorce cases continue to progress and most of our clients are asking us to continue to move their cases forward, or in the case of new clients, to start the divorce process for them. A divorce is normally a paperwork exercise with no need for anyone to attend court for the divorce itself, so the current lock-down is not affecting this process.

Some clients are worried that we are unable to progress financial settlement negotiations at the current time. While the Courts are currently closed for all but urgent hearings, we can still engage in exchanging financial disclosure and continue with negotiations on behalf of our clients.

Last week, Vikki Martin, the Head of our Family Department, had a financial hearing listed in London cancelled because of lock-down but both solicitors and clients agreed to use that time anyway to engage in round table negotiations on Zoom. Vikki reports that this worked very successfully and is certainly something we will continue to do in the current time for other clients.

Some clients are worried that now is not the right time to agree a financial settlement with their spouse. This might be for several reasons, such as uncertainty about house prices or the future stability of a business or the value of a pension. Whilst there are some instances where we may be advising our clients that Covid-19 means they should be cautious in entering into financial negotiations, this will vary from one case to another and specific advice should be taken.

If you are unsure about whether now is the right time for you to start your divorce or want to know what other options might be available to you at this time, contact the Wolferstans family team on 01752 663295 or visit our website www.wolferstans.com