A couple married in Lahore, living in Forest Gate, with a house in East Ham and a plot of land in Punjab: which country's court deals with the divorce? Divorce solicitors in Newham are asked that question more often than most, because so many of the borough's marriages were celebrated abroad and so many families hold property in two countries. The usual answer is that the English court can deal with it if the couple live here, that a marriage valid where it took place is valid here, and that a foreign divorce will generally be recognised if it was obtained through the proper process in that country, but not if it was pronounced informally in a living room in Newham.
The divorce itself has been a no-fault online application since April 2022, with twenty weeks between the application and the conditional order. The finances take longer. Gold given at the wedding, a share in a family business on Green Street and a house that is in a father-in-law's name all have to be disclosed and valued, and the court will take account of land abroad even though it cannot transfer it. Pensions from the NHS, the council and Transport for London are often the second-largest asset after the home and may need a sharing order. Agreements are approved as consent orders by the East London Family Court; contested cases go through the same court after a mediation information and assessment meeting.
Fees are usually fixed for the application and hourly for the finances; legal aid is only available where there is evidence of domestic abuse.
The divorce firms serving Newham appear below, verified firms first. Before a first meeting, read how the divorce process works and what a divorce costs; the general divorce solicitors page explains the role, and family law solicitors in Newham covers children, injunctions and unmarried couples.
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