It makes no difference to a divorce whether the family home is in Flintshire, on the Welsh side of the border, or in Handbridge on the English one. Family law is not devolved, the application goes through the same online portal and the same law decides the money, though a couple living in Wales may be listed in north Wales rather than Chester. What differs is what there is to divide.
Divorce solicitors in Chester deal with assets that would be unusual in a larger city: dairy farms held in partnership with parents, land let under agricultural tenancies that cannot simply be sold, family companies supplying the aircraft and car plants, and holiday property on the north Wales coast. Pensions from the NHS, the council and the banks on Chester Business Park are often the second largest asset after the house, and sharing one needs a valuation, sometimes an actuary. Second marriages later in life are common in the villages, so prenuptial and postnuptial agreements are asked for far more often than a decade ago.
Since no-fault divorce arrived in April 2022 the process itself is quick: an application, a twenty-week wait, a conditional order and then the final order. Solicitors concentrate on the finances. Where the couple can agree, a consent order is drafted and approved on paper; where they cannot, both attend a mediation information and assessment meeting before an application, and the Chester Civil and Family Justice Centre deals with the case if mediation fails.
Expect a fixed fee for the divorce application, hourly or staged fees for the financial work, and a free first appointment at many Chester firms. Legal aid is available only where domestic abuse is evidenced.
Scroll down for divorce solicitors serving Chester, verified firms at the top. The divorce process and how much a divorce costs answer the first questions, the general divorce solicitors page covers choosing a firm, and children and cohabitation go to family law solicitors in Chester.
