There has been a media frenzy around Cheryl and Ashley Cole’s divorce and on 3 September when their Decree Nisi was pronounced many of the tabloid papers claimed that the couple had obtained a “quickie” or “fast-track” divorce. In fact the divorce will not be final until at least another 6 weeks and one day and often it will be considerably longer before Decree Absolute is granted.
The papers would like you to believe that because of their celebrity status that the Coles have been able to circumvent the normal court procedure. However, this is not correct and the Coles’ divorce has followed exactly the same procedure as the thousands of other divorces that the Courts deal with each year.
Obtaining a divorce is usually quite straightforward and, if unopposed, will take between 3 to 4 months to complete. The family team at Hine will guide you through the Court process (see our Divorce Procedure leaflet for a summary of the process). We encourage our clients to try and reach agreement as to the wording of the Divorce papers to lessen the anger and disappointment both parties may feel at the end of a marriage. We will work with you to try and make sure that the divorce proceedings are conducted in a civilised and dignified manner, which ultimately is in both parties’ interests, especially where there are children.
The “quickie” divorce is achievable for everyone but there are often difficulties in resolving the related practical issues the most important of which are where will you and the children live and how the cost of running two households can be met.
The couple should exchanged details of their finances so there is a full and true picture of the available resources. The family team at Hine will work with you to ensure that this is dealt with as quickly and in the most cost effective way possible. However, it is essential that full and transparent financial disclosure is completed before moving on to a discussion of how the matrimonial assets can be divided. Sorting out the finances can take time, whatever your financial situation. Although it may seem from the newspaper reports that Cheryl and Ashley Cole have speeded through the whole process their lawyers will have spent many hours negotiating a financial settlement despite them being a duel income family and both have financial resources well beyond the ordinary couple.
To safeguard your financial future talk to the experts and contact Hine Solicitors today and book an appointment with one of our family solicitors on 01753 482400
