Can I bring divorce proceedings in England and Wales if I don’t currently live here? Jurisdiction explained.
Despite the Brexit vote, the UK currently remains a member of the European Union (EU) and it is EU law, written into domestic law, which sets down grounds of jurisdiction for bringing divorce proceedings in England and Wales.
You can bring proceedings for divorce in England and Wales if:
If none of the above grounds apply, then so long as no other EU member state has jurisdiction (under the above), an application may be made in England and Wales on the basis of the sole domicile of either you or your spouse. This is known as the ‘residual jurisdiction’. There are however restrictions on the financial relief available in the event of an application based on this final residual ground.
Domicile is a legal concept. It is not the same as residence or nationality. Under English law no person can be without a domicile and can only have one domicile at any one time. Put simply, it is the country a person has as his or her permanent home, although in practice it is far more complex. A person does not stop having their home in a country just because they are temporarily resident elsewhere (e.g. for work or leisure) and even when a person decides to leave a country permanently they do not immediately stop having their home there until he or she acts according to that intention (e.g. by leaving).
As such, it is perfectly possible for a person to be habitually resident in one country but to retain domicile in another.
There are different types of domicile: ‘of origin’, ‘of choice’ or ‘of dependence’.
Domicile of origin is acquired at birth, from your parents. If you were born in England and Wales, this is your domicile of origin.
Domicile of choice is when an individual has chosen a new domicile in place of that which he or she has held before.
Domicile of dependence determines when a child is able to obtain a domicile independent from that of his or her parents. Capacity to acquire a domicile of choice arises at the age of 16. Until capacity is acquired, a person’s domicile is dependent on that of their parents. So if your parents change their domicile by choice after you are born but before you are 16 your domicile shall follow that of your parents.
It is up to the person claiming that their domicile has changed to prove it. It is more difficult to prove that a domicile of origin has been changed than to prove that a domicile of dependence or a domicile of choice has changed.
Every adult can change their domicile by choice if they intend to permanently live in another country. The key is permanency; not fixed for a limited time or for a limited purpose.
Certain factors which have been considered as supportive of a change of domicile include the following:
Declaring that you are domiciled in a new country, such as in a Will, will not be determinative of the issue, although this will go towards proving that you intend to permanently reside in the new country.
In addition to divorce proceedings is the resolution of financial matters. England and Wales has long been regarded as the divorce capital of the world and has been viewed as the most generous, particularly to wives. In England and Wales it is not possible to start financial proceedings until jurisdiction for divorce has been established. Although, in certain limited circumstances, if you have been divorced overseas and have a connection with England and Wales (e.g. you own property or other assets here) you may be able to claim financial relief in England and Wales if you have suffered financial hardship by reason of your foreign divorce.
There is often more than one county in which divorce proceedings can be made. Under EU law, when proceedings are brought in two different EU countries the country of the person whose divorce petition was processed first has jurisdiction. As such, International family lawyers have to be alert and quick to obtain instructions from their client’s as there could be a race to court in order to secure jurisdiction in the country which might provide the best outcome for their clients.
There are different rules for establishing jurisdiction between England and another competing country outside of the UK and EU. The court in England and Wales may temporarily suspend proceedings where it appears that it is more convenient and appropriate for the proceedings to take place in the other jurisdiction first.
The courts of England and Wales have the ability to make a variety of financial orders on divorce, including property adjustment orders, maintenance, lump sum orders and pension sharing orders.
EU legislation sets out the basis on which EU member states have jurisdiction to determine matters relating to maintenance.
Any divorce petition issued after 18 June 2011 on the basis of the sole domicile of one spouse under the residual jurisdiction prevents a court in England or Wales from being able to hear a claim for maintenance.
Case Study Example
Frieda, a German national, moves to England to study. In England, Frieda meets Dave, an English national. The parties’ marry in England, jointly purchase a property and have two children. When the youngest child is six years old the family temporarily relocate to Singapore with the intention of staying for a fixed period of two years for Dave’s job. The parties’ rent out their family home in London. The parties’ do not have permanent leave to remain in Singapore, Dave has an employment pass and Frieda and the children are listed as dependants. The family rent an apartment in Singapore which is paid for by Dave’s employer.
The parties remain living in Singapore for a period of eight years, during which their relationship breaks down and the parties’ separate. The children remain living with Frieda. Although Frieda intends to return to England to live with the children, she does not wish to do so until the youngest child completes his secondary education in two years time. Frieda wishes to bring divorce and financial proceedings in England now.
Application
Frieda and Dave are habitually resident in Singapore. Under English law, Frieda’s domicile of origin is Germany. In order to bring divorce proceedings in England and Wales she would need to show that her domicile has changed by choice to England. The fact she married an English national, has children with dual English and German nationality and continues to own property in England will be relevant when considering Frieda’s intention to make England her permanent home.
Given the fact that Frieda moved to Singapore for a fixed period and for a fixed purpose, she does not have permanent leave to remain (although this on its own is not determinative), and she intends to return to England, it is unlikely that Frieda’s domicile would be seen to have changed by choice to Singapore.
Dave was born in England and as a British citizen his domicile of origin is England and Wales. Although Dave lives and works in Singapore his status there remains as a temporary resident. He owns no property there.
Frieda could claim that jurisdiction to petition for divorce in England and Wales exists on the basis of the domicile of both parties; Frieda’s domicile of choice and Dave’s domicile of origin. This is however open to challenge by Dave. If Frieda cannot prove that she has changed her domicile to England and Wales but Dave has retained his English domicile, it is possible that she will be able to petition on the basis of Dave’s sole domicile under the residual jurisdiction. The residual jurisdiction provision only applies if no other EU state has jurisdiction. If Frieda was found not to have acquired English domicile by choice, she would retain her German domicile of origin. German law will mirror the same jurisdiction grounds; Frieda will only be able to bring proceedings in Germany after six months habitual residence there.
As you can see domicile and jurisdiction can be very complex and is a specialist area of the law. It is extremely important to get advice early on if any of these issues affect you or your spouse.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you would like to discuss your own specific circumstances.
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Hello Dear
Can I bring a divorce proceeding in the UK, even when there is an ongoing or similar divorce proceeding currently going on abroad (outside of the UK) that is not yet concluded.
Thank you for your comment. If divorce proceedings are already underway in another country then it will not be possible for you to bring divorce proceedings in England or Wales. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to claim financial relief in England and Wales if you have a connection to the country e.g. you own property or other assets here, and if you have suffered financial hardship because of your foreign divorce. I suggest you obtain further legal advice from a specialist family solicitor; the Resolution website will assist you in finding a solicitor near to you.
Hi,
I’m not sure which option to choose with regards to jurisdiction. I am a Polish national, my husband is an English national. We got married in Poland. I have been living here for the last 10 years and a few weeks ago acquired British citizenship. Am I domicile? Or should I put that we are both habitually residing?
Thanks Magda for your comment. The courts of England and Wales would have jurisdiction in matters relating to divorce as you are both habitually resident in England. The Polish courts would only have jurisdiction after 6 months following your return to live in Poland.
I’m German and had lived in separation in London for 15 years. My german wife live in germany alone. I go there once a year for visit. My wife is mentally ill now. Can I seek for divorce. Please help
Thank you for your comment. You will be able to petition for divorce against your wife in England and Wales on the basis that you have been habitually resident here for over 12 months. Alternatively, you would be able to petition in Germany on the basis that your wife is habitually resident there and/or you were both last living together as spouses in Germany and your wife still resides there. Before you decide which jurisdiction to bring divorce proceedings, I recommend that you obtain legal advice from a specialist family lawyer in both jurisdictions as the financial consequences of divorce are very different in both countries.
I am a UK BRITISH
CITZEN. I moved to Zurich in 2003 and I married a Swiss man in Switzerland and have lived here since . I have 3 children. My closest relative is also British and lives in Uk. I want to divorce and go back to live in Uk with my relative . Also I want to have divorce procedures in UK ;
and bring my children with me. How do I change my domicile here if I can only afford to live with my relative ? Is it legal to bring my children to Uk if they have Swiss nationality? Do I need a written consent of my husband for that? Please help me.
Thank you for your question. Domicile is a complex concept. It primarily takes into account where you were born, but it can be possible to change domicile later, based on where you are living and where you may possibly be living in the future. You will have read from our blog those factors which the Court considers to be supportive of a change of domicile. Bear in mind that you do not necessarily have to change your domicile in order to bring divorce proceedings in England & Wales. For example, if you have been habitually resident here for at least a year then you will be able to bring divorce proceedings. In terms of your ability to bring your children to England, since the children are habitually resident in Switzerland, the law in Switzerland will apply. International children law is a very complex area of law and as such you will need to seek legal advice from a lawyer in Switzerland who specialises in International Children Law. You should be aware that both Switzerland and England are parties to the 1980 Hague Convention on Child Abduction. This treaty operates to secure the swift return of children back to their home country in circumstances where they have been wrongfully removed by one parent in breach of the other parents ?Rights of Custody?. What is meant by ?Rights of Custody? varies from country to country and you will need to seek advice from a Swiss lawyer about the definition under Swiss law. However, you should be aware that if you were to bring the children to England without your spouse?s consent then he may well be able to bring an application under the Hague Convention for the children?s immediate return. This might well hamper your future chances of bringing the children to England lawfully.
Hello, I am british living for 15 years in Switzerland. I am married to a Swiss man and have 3 kids. I recently discovered that my husband is guy and has been deceiving me for 18 years. Unfortunately I signed a pre nuptial contract which I did not understand in german saying that I have no rights to anything in a case of divorce. Could I start divorcing procedure in the UK? My husbands assets are all here apart from some investments in a UK bank where he works.
Thank you for your question. Whether or not you can get divorced in England & Wales if you or your spouse are currently living abroad is a complex area of family law and depends on several factors, as you will have read from our blog.
In terms of the enforceability of a prenuptial contract, prenuptial agreements are not formally binding in England and Wales. (This blog provides you with some further information). However, they have been regarded by the court as persuasive and even ‘decisive? and the majority are now recognised in divorce proceedings provided certain precautionary steps were taken when the agreement was drawn up and signed. The Supreme Court has set out the following three factors that increase the likelihood of a prenuptial agreement binding the parties:
1. The agreement must be freely entered into;
2. The parties must have full appreciation of the implications of the agreement; and
3. It must not be unfair to hold the parties to the agreement in the circumstances prevailing at the time of the divorce.
If you did not understand the terms of the prenuptial agreement because it was written in a language that you did not understand and the terms were not properly explained to you by an independent legal advisor, and therefore you did not have full appreciation of the terms of the agreement, then you may be able to challenge it.
We recommend that you contact a Resolution specialist solicitor at the earliest opportunity to discuss your specific case. Please do contact us if you require any assistance.
I married my wife five years ago in Italy. we are both Italian but we
met in London seven years ago when were were both working here for an Italian
bank I have lived in London for 10 years. I was recruited from Italy to a job in
the London branch of Banco di Puglia. I also have property here in London. I met my wife as soon as she arrived in London to work for my bank.
our marriage broke down and my wife left and never came back. She later contacted me to say she was going back to Italy and that she has found a job there. She has no intention of coming back to England and wants the divorce in italy. I have made a life
for myself in London and intend to remain here permanently as I have no ties
in Italy since my parents died.
Could you please let me know whether I have a choice to issue proceedings in England or Italy?
What further steps or information I need to know to whether it is in my best interests to issue the divorce proceedings in England and Wales or in Italy?
Thank you for your comment. Based upon the information you have provided it would appear likely that you would be able to issue divorce proceedings in England if you wished to do so. I am afraid I cannot advise you as to whether you would be able to issue divorce proceedings in Italy as you would need to take advice from an Italian lawyer regarding this. However, in the event that your Wife were to issue divorce proceedings in Italy first then it is likely that the Italian courts would have jurisdiction to deal with the divorce and the English courts would not then deal with your divorce.
I am afraid I cannot advise you as to whether it is in your best interests to issue the divorce proceedings in England or in Italy as I cannot advise you upon the likely outcome if you were to proceed with your divorce in Italy. I would suggest that you may want to obtain advice from a lawyer in each country but should do so quickly as you may otherwise find that your Wife has already issued divorce proceedings.
Can you please help me.
I was in a civil partnership 12 years ago, and I am trying to dissolve it. the other party is no help in the matter although she lives in the UK and I don’t anymore, I’m in Ireland. I am trying to order my civil partnership certificate as I don’t have it anymore, but I do not have the address we stayed at 12 years ago, would this need to be on it for the court? I have no idea how else to go about this without the address.
Also, it’s been over 5 years and even though she won’t help at all she is happy to sign anything sent to her, so will it be a straight forward process of just sending forms, or any proof somehow we don’t live together? I havent lived in the UK for 10 years now so it’s been over for 10 years. Can I send the forms to her in the UK and go through the UK law where she lives even though I’m in Ireland.
Dear Angie, thanks for your comment. Jurisdiction is a complex area of law and would depend on various factors, in particular which part of the UK your civil partner currently resides in and which part you resided in when you lived together. I recommend that you seek legal advice in this regard from a Resolution lawyer. Please let me know if we can assist you.
You can order a copy of your civil partnership certificate using this link.
Hello,
I have a friend who is British married for a Polish woman. The marriage took place in Poland. They are separated for 5 years now and she is living back in Poland since 2014. They have 8 years old daughter who lives in Poland with her mother. They sold the property they’ve owed together when they separated. He is visiting Poland often to see his daughter or her mother brings her in UK sometimes. He wants apply for a divorce as they’ve been separated for almost 5 years. Can he divorce in UK by filling up the D8 form and what are the chances if his wife doesn’t want to divorce him?
Thank you for your comment. You say that your friend is British and I will presume that your friend lives in England and Wales. If so, the courts here have jurisdiction. Your friend may find this factsheet on the divorce procedure useful. Your friend should also consider seeking specialist legal advice
An updated question please, I have our civil partnership certificate now. Civil partnership was in UK(London), She still lives there although is using an address in Liverpool, I am in Ireland. 10 years out of the UK. Can I proceed and file through the UK courts in Liverpool (based on her address I have to use)? I just want to know does the UK have jurisdiction on this or does she have to be the petitioner as she’s the one living in the UK? She’s been there all along. We both lived in London together.
Thanks for your comment Angie. As your civil partner still lives in the England it is likely that either of you could issue a divorce petition in the jurisdiction of England and Wales. As you live in Ireland, it also likely that you could issue divorce proceedings there. However, the law around jurisdiction is complex and I strongly advise you to seek legal advice before taking any action. As well as considering which jurisdiction you can issue divorce proceedings in, you should also give consideration to which jurisdiction would be most favourable to you.
Hi,
I live in Gibraltar with my children. I was born in the UK and lived there until about 20 years ago with my husband.. My husband moved back to the UK 8 months ago as our marriage broke down here in Gibraltar nearly 3 years ago. Can I still divorce him in the UK even though I’m living in Gibraltar and have no intention of returning to the UK.?
It seems that your scenario may fall under point 3 as per the list in the blog. If your husband is now habitually resident in in England then you will be able to divorce him notwithstanding that you are still living abroad. Habitual Resident is a complex legal issue. You would need to obtain legal advice about your specific circumstances in order to ascertain whether your husband is habitually resident here. If I can assist please let me know.
Hi, my wife and I have lived, have a child and a property in joint names in Portugal. I was born in the UK My wife was born in an ex British colony and she does have a British passport. We were married in the UK. Could i apply for a divorce from the UK?
Hello, I wish to understand which country is responsible for my divorce. I would very much appreciate your legal expertise on this matter.
I am Italian and my wife is Russian. We got married in London 2 years ago. One year ago we de facto separated. She went back to Russia, where she currently lives, and I went back to Italy where I spent some months (where I currently still have my domicile) and then I moved for work to Malta, where I currently reside since 8 months. It is my understanding that we cannot seek divorce in the UK, as none of the above criteria applies to us. However, neither the Italian or the Maltese jurisdiction apply to my case as well. So, how do I get about the jurisdiction of my divorce? We do not have children, we do not have financial goods in common and my wife is happy to sign the divorce and split up.
Do I need to wait to reside for at least one year in Malta before being able to initiate the divorce procedure under Maltese jurisdiction (case 5)? Can I avoid this? The Maltese law is very complex and requires 3 years of separation before being able to apply for divorce. This would take an eternity. Can I still somehow divorce under the UK jurisdiction (my wife still has the dependant UK residence card even if she currently lives in Russia)?
Or as an alternative solution, do I need to go back to Italy, reside for at least 6 months and then be able to apply there? I am a bit lost and want to avoid to have to wait 3 years under Maltese law before being able to divorce.
Thank you
Hello,
I am Romanian and my husband is Romanian as well. We got married in Romania but have been working here for a few years but travelled several times a year back home to Romania. We still have our valid romanian National ID cards with our chosen domicile in Romania. My husband has filled for divorce against me in Romania already. I want to file for divorce in England because he has a house in Romania from before we got married, but under romanian law I am not entitled to and I found out that under English law I can have half of it. How would jurisdiction work here?
Hi,
My wife and I are both English, born and lived there to adulthood. We moved abroad in 2008 and got married abroad (in British overseas territory). We still live here but would we be able to get a divorce back home in England/UK?
Thanks
Thanks for your comment. If either of you are still domiciled in England then it would still be possible to file for divorce in England.
Where this might get tricky, however, is that this might not guarantee that the divorce would be heard here. Not all states operate a “first in time” rule like EU countries do. If this does not apply where you live then it would mean that if your wife were subsequently to apply for for a divorce there too there might end up being an argument about which country’s court was the most appropriate one to hear the divorce.
These jurisdiction disputes can become very complicated and expensive very quickly, so it is more important than usual that you take detailed legal advice before deciding where to proceed.
Bear in mind as well that if only one of you remains domiciled in England there will be restrictions on the types of financial relief that are available.
HI,
my sister was born in England. Since 2000 she has lived in other countries. First in Germany where she met her future German husband. They married in 2009 there and have two children. 5 years ago they moved to Scotland where she now lives. Her husband has a permanent job in Norway for the last 4 years. He now has separated from her as she doesn’t want to join him. Could my sister get a divorce under English jurisdiction or must she first live for some time in England and intend to stay there permanently?
Thank you for your comment. Without living in England first, the only way your sister would be able to bring proceedings for divorce in England and Wales would be based on her sole English domicile, so long as no other EU member state has jurisdiction (residual jurisdiction). This would restrict the financial relief available to your sister. However, this residual ground would not apply as your sister (or her husband) would be able to bring divorce proceedings in Scotland (where your sister and her husband last lived together, and where your sister still lives). If your sister wants to bring divorce proceedings in England, she will need to live here for a minimum period of 6 months first.
Hello,
My husband and I are EU citizens. We got married and lived together in Monaco. I filled for divorce 10 years ago in Monaco and my divorce is still ongoing due to my husband wont disclose his financials. Our daughter is moving to the UK for her studies/work and I am thinking to move with her. Can I transfer or start a divorce proceeding in the UK?
Thank you for your comment. Monaco is not a full member state of the European Union, therefore I do not believe that it is subject to the same EU rules governing jurisdiction for divorce as the UK (at least until the UK remains bound by EU law, at the time of writing, until 31 December 2020). This would need to be confirmed by a family lawyer in Monaco. As such, even though there are currently pending divorce proceedings in Monaco, I do not believe that there would be an automatic bar to you bringing divorce proceedings in the UK once you have lived here for at least one year. However, in practice, it is likely that the UK courts would decline jurisdiction on the basis that there are pending proceedings in Monaco. It is not possible to transfer foreign divorce proceedings to the UK.
I am a British National with a civil partnership from the UK. I now live in Portugal (7 years) and he is in Spain, we have been separated for 8 years – can I get a dissolution. There are no children and no fiances/property involved.
Thank you for your comment. Jurisdiction for the dissolution of civil partnerships is largely the same for marriages, it is reliant on either one or both partners being habitually resident or domiciled in England and Wales. It may be possible for you or your partner to dissolve your civil partnership in England based on your joint English domicile (if you are both English nationals). If this does not apply, you would only be able to dissolve your civil partnership in England or Wales as a last resort if you are both now living in a county which does not recognise civil partnerships. You would need to obtain advice from family lawyers in Spain and Portugal. For more information please refer to my blog, ?How can I dissolve a civil partnership in England and Wales if I am living in a country which does not recognise civil partnerships??:
https://www.familylawpartners.co.uk/blog/how-can-i-dissolve-a-civil-partnership-in-england-and-wales-if-i-am-living-in-a-country-which-does-not-recognise-civil-partnerships/
Hello – Both my husband and I are domicile here in England. We are South African Expats working here. Our marriage has broken down & mutally agreeing to a divorce. Our south African att0orney has drafted the papers, but the judge advised we have to submit it through the UK courts as we domiciled here. Is this correct & what is the process simply as we have all of the paper work drafted?
If you and your husband are both habitually resident in England you would be able to petition for divorce in this country. However, please be aware that the rules surrounding jurisdiction for divorce may be subject to change following England’s departure from the European Union. The fact that you and your husband both live in England does not necessarily mean that you have acquired English domicile; in order to properly advise you in this regard I would need a detailed understanding of your circumstances. I am unable to advise you in relation to the law in South Africa, however I suggest you clarify with your South African lawyer the precise requirements for establishing jurisdiction for divorce in South Africa. Under English law it is not correct that you must petition for divorce in England because you live here; where there are competing jurisdictions for divorce (in this instance potentially South Africa), in the absence of agreement between you and your husband, the test for determining jurisdiction is which country is most appropriate and convenient to deal with the divorce.
Good day Dear,
Thank you for your comments and the blog. It is very helpful.
My concerns:
Me and my ex-wife married in a foreign country (no EU country) where we were born and lived most of our life. And then moved to the UK temporarily (as Eu citizen – myself only) but the relationship broke down. As soon as I separated, I filled the divorce petition in that foreign country and after 3-4 months the divorce was granted. In the meantime, my ex-wife has filled a divorced petition in the UK (England) after my divorce petition. However, I was not living in the UK and I received the service acknowledgement by email after the divorce was pronounced or granted.
Actually, I received an order from family court for a hearing to consider the jurisdiction and directions of the divorce. For the hearing, I cannot attend the hearing due to financial and professional concerns (I will write a letter to the Judge explaining my situation)
PS. We have a 2-year child however all family connections are in the foreign country. My ex-wife is the only person living in the UK with our child.
It is noted that the divorce in the foreign country is definite and my ex-wife wanted to obtain her divorce only to remain in the UK.
My concerns: despite we are already divorce, why the UK family court hearing? I sent all evidence about the divorce.
Thanks in advance for your response.
Thank you for your comment. It is difficult for me to respond without a proper understanding of your case, for example, I would need to understand whether your former wife was aware/engaged in the foreign divorce proceedings (non-EU country), the exact date your foreign divorce was granted, the date your former wife filed her divorce petition in England and the basis on which your former wife is claiming jurisdiction for divorce in England. It sounds like the English court has listed a hearing to consider the matter of jurisdiction and I urge you to either attend this hearing in person or at least instruct English solicitors to attend on your behalf. The English court may make orders in your absence. I strongly suggest that you obtain urgent legal advice from a specialist family solicitor in England.
Thanks Gemma.
1- Effectively, my former wife was engaged in the foreign divorce proceedings. She had her requests and presented by a solicitor. She had appealed and I won the case.
2- the exact dates your foreign divorce was filled on 5 Nov 2018 and granted on 1 March 2019.
3- the date your former wife filed her divorce petition in England on 10 Dec 2018 But I received/acknowledged it by email on May 2019.
4- the basis claiming jurisdiction for divorce in England: may be as she is living there. But prior her application in England, she spent 2-3 months on the foreign country (her nationality) from August to October 2018 which doesn?t satisfy the domicile requirements if she is requesting that.
I cannot afford it financially even going there, what should I do?
Thanks in advance for your inputs.
Thank you for your comment. If your former wife filed for divorce in the UK after your divorce was granted by a foreign court ? and that divorce was legally recognised by the UK ? then this should be brought to the urgent attention of the UK court. You or your legal representative in the UK must formerly contest the grounds of jurisdiction for the divorce. This may not require your physical presence here. I urge you to obtain some independent legal advice from a specialist family solicitor in the UK
Hi, I am a srilankan national but I got married to french national and lived in France for 7 months and moved to UK due to some disputes. I claimed asylum in UK and applied for divorce in UK as well. But I haven?t been domicile for 6 months in UK ( just 9 days left to become 6 months) however I applied for divorce. Is it still possible for me to have the jurisdiction in UK?
Thank you for your comment. As you are not a UK national, in order to claim that you are domiciled in the UK to satisfy grounds of jurisdiction for divorce, you would need to establish that your domicile of origin (Sri Lanka) potentially changed by choice to France, and then changed by choice again to the UK. As you would have read in my blog, this can be difficult to prove if grounds of jurisdiction are disputed. The alternative would be for you to wait until you have been living in the UK for one year before bringing divorce proceedings based on your habitual residence. However, in the meantime, your spouse may bring divorce proceedings in France.
My ex & I married in Uk in 2001. We were both born in Uk. We moved to Ireland in 2003. We separated in 2016 he moved back to Uk. He has now filed for divorce. We have sold our home in Ireland. He had received his share. I am dealing with a separation agreement here in Ireland and for selling the family home he had engaged himself an Irish solicitor. He now has a Uk
Solicitor. Although we have been separated 4 years he has given my unreasonable behaviour as grounds for divorce! And applied for a financial order as he has no pension provision of his own. He is 10 years younger than me. I do not object to divorce but the behaviour is untrue. Can you give me any idea of my options re divorce in ROI or Uk and likely outcome. Thanks
Thank you for your comment. The ROI is part of the European Union, it is therefore subject to the same rules governing jurisdiction for divorce as the UK (at least until the UK remains bound by EU law, at the time of writing, until 31 December 2020). As your husband has already filed for divorce in the UK, under EU law, neither you nor your husband could now bring divorce proceedings in the ROI, unless you specifically contest jurisdiction in the UK and make that known at the earliest opportunity. If your husband has also made a financial application to the court, then this will be dealt with under UK law. In order to obtain specific legal advice, I suggest you contact a specialist family solicitor in the UK.
Serving British soldier, posted to Germany and married a German woman. We bought a house together with my life savings. We have children together. We separated over a year ago, I?ve since been posted back to the uk. I was forced to start divorce proceedings over there but as I?m now back in the uk can I hire a uk solicitor. I feel I would get a fair chance of not losing everything especially my access to my children.
Many thanks for your comment Paul. If divorce proceedings have already started in Germany, it will not be possible for proceedings to be also brought in England. You are able to instruct an English lawyer, however they would need to specialise in German law. With regards to matters concerning access to your children, if your children continue to live in Germany then any disagreement between you and your wife relating to child arrangements would need to be resolved by the German courts.
Me and my husband are polish but live together in Uk for 13 years worked here and our son was born here. All our assets are held in Uk. Husband applied first for divorce in Poland as wants to avoid paying child maintenance and share matrimonial assets. Im planning to remain i uk with our child. What can i do to raise a concern over polish court jurisdiction or prevent court proceedings to take place in Poland
Many thanks for your comment Natalia. As divorce proceedings have already started in Poland, the English courts would not have jurisdiction. If you wanted to contest jurisdiction in Poland, you would need to instruct a specialised family lawyer in Poland. If, under Polish law, your husband is able to avoid paying you and/or your son maintenance, then it may be possible for you to bring a free-standing financial application in England after conclusion of the Polish proceedings. However, in the first instance, I suggest you take advice from a Polish lawyer.
My husband and I are separated. I want to issue divorce proceedings against him. He moved to the UK leaving me in the USA last month. He intends to live there permanently. He has assets in the UK. Can I issue in the UK based on the fact that he is habitually resident even though he hasnt been here for 6 months.
Thank you for your comment. If your husband is habitually resident in England and Wales and you are intending to start divorce proceedings against him, i.e. he will be the respondent to the divorce, then you do not need to wait 6 months. The time limits only apply to petitioner’s claiming jurisdiction on the basis of their habitual residence. If you require any assistance with submitting your petition and/or resolving financial matters with your husband, please contact me further.