Not sure if any of you can help, but I am trying to do my own divorce without involving solicitors.  As we have only been separated for just over a year, I can only site either adultery or unreasonable behaviour.  As no-one else is involved I have gone for the unreasonable behaviour, as the paperwork I got said you can state something as simple as no common interests.

As this is both what we want, and quite quickly, this is what we agreed to do.

However, after getting all the way to the Judge, he has said that he won't grant the divorce as I have not given any evidence of unreasonable behaviour.  So I have re-submitted the forms trying to give some dates and things that had happened that I class as un-reasonable, and just hope it's enough to get it through.

Have any of you done your own divorce, and is there any hints that you might be able to give to help me get this through this time.

Thanks

Juliet

It might be easier to wait for the two years seperation, as I don't think you need grounds then.

Yes have thought about this, but ex OH will be long gone by then, as he is moving abroad so we both wanted this done & dusted before he went. 

My ex husband and i went through this and i did exactly as you did and although we were very good friends at the time citing unreasonable behaviour AND having to write down what he did wasnt without its disagreements lol..

In the end we agreed that he admitted adultery and it went through very quickly..

i think you will find that even the most trivial things can count as unreasonanble.....such as spending too much time in the pub......leaving the loo seat up.....never helping with housework!!!

You call that trivial? :D

What about spending too much time on the internet :D

ooh gosh that's me and I'm not even married :D

Oh gosh thats my boyfriend and we are very far from Married... :D

If you both in agreement try marriage breakdown. I have seen it on the net, they do it for you for about £200.00
I think!!

or go tescos and buy their DIY divorce kit

Has anyone ever bought one of those, seriously????

Actually, I think I am correct in saying that the Court fees are around £300.   And if you go to the Court yourself, and are representing yourself, the Court clerks are very, very helpful.    They won't telll you what to say - but they will tell you how to fill in the forms yourself .....far better than involving solicitors if it is a straight-forward no-blame, no-claim divorce.

However......if the other party has plenty of dosh, and is trying to wriggle out of paying his share - then get a solicitors ;)

Margot

yes....i did!!!!
as long as nothing complicated in equation like money or children or property then tesco diy is perfect!!

blimey I didn't know these things existed, mentally noted though as if things stay the same as they are at present in this house I may find myself needing one!

Yes this is what I have used, a DIY kit from WH Smith's.  You're right the divorce fees are £300.00, so if it doesn't go through this time I will have to pay out again.  I'm just hoping that as the judge has allowed me to amend the petition that I have now put enough info on there to back up the claim.  Time will tell.

On another note, which I find quite amusing, OH is off abroad as I said, well cheek of it, he has said that if I want any of the funiture from the house, then I can but I will have to pay for it.  I asked for a discount, and he said why, and I said well I have already paid for half of it when we bought it originally !!!  He wasn't amused.

Cheek it is already half yours and second hand it isn't wort much for his half now, what's he going to do ship it?

No, if I don't buy the stuff, then he will put it in the local paper for sale.  Trouble is I could do with the stuff but have no room until I move into a house, so I will have to pay storage costs as well.

As has been said, it won't be worth so much secondhand. What about letting him advertise it, then getting a 'friend' to buy the lot, or what you want. he then has to split the total with you, minus the fact you already own half, so you will only be paying a 1/4? Or, get a valuation for what is to be sold, then just pay the 1/4?

I take it you are not living together, so you would have to be there for phone enqs etc? You could make that difficult. How are you sorting the house? All these things make the 'simple' divorce difficult. Can't understand why he is being so difficult when he wants it all over as much as you :rolleyes:

I am organising my divorce just now and its only going to cost around £75 for what they call a DIY divorce in Scotland.  Though maybe its because we have no money or property to sort out as that was done about 3 years ago as a seperation agreement and our daughter is now 16 so there are no costs for the lawyers regarding children.  I just have to fill in the form and get lawyer to sign it and then send it to the court with the fee and a copy of our marriage certificate.  Cant believe its so easy :)

I believe divorce in Scotland is different, maybe that's why it doesn't cost as much?

As for the stuff in the house, I left last year taking only a bed with me. I bought the rest of my furniture with my part of the equity.  So I suppose really the furniture is his to sell, I just thought he would be a little leanient as it was 'ours' in the first place.

Oh well, I got what was most important to me, the dogs, at the end of the day they are who are important now.