Divorce and making a will... help!

don_ky01

Hi, you need to get to a solicitor and get a legal separation drawing up and signed by both parties. When that is done you can contact the family and probate office at the high court in Belfast yourself. They will talk you through what you have to do, cost,etc. and you DO NOT need a solicitor for this if both parties are in agreement.

I done this myself it cost a cople of hundred quid and was very simple, I had to appear in court for all of two minutes, very easy.

good luck :beer:

wanchai_2

HeadAboveWater wrote: »

Sorry! We're in Coleraine actually But just ring your nearest courthouse and ask if there's anyone who can help.

Solicitor quoted OH £1500+VAT :eek:
(plus he was needing copies of birth certs for the girls, and marriage cert. Solicitor was charging about £35 for each. We got all 4 certs we needed for £56 I think it was)

Doing it himself cost about 1/3 of that!

OK. Went to Courts Service today. They were very helpful. I'm going to do without a solicitor, unless he contests it, in which case I'll need one.

OMG @ £1,500 plus VAT! So £1,800 then :eek:

LE3 wrote: »

you will need a solicitor to help with the wording, but you can make a will that states basically "I am separated from my husband and intending to divorce - this will is to stand whether I die before or after the divorce is complete"
If the worst was to happen, your full intention is known & he would have a job contesting the will in his favour

Thank you. I have an appointment for 2 weeks' time, and will use that wording.

don_ky01 wrote: »

Hi, you need to get to a solicitor and get a legal separation drawing up and signed by both parties. When that is done you can contact the family and probate office at the high court in Belfast yourself. They will talk you through what you have to do, cost,etc. and you DO NOT need a solicitor for this if both parties are in agreement.

I done this myself it cost a cople of hundred quid and was very simple, I had to appear in court for all of two minutes, very easy.

good luck :beer:

I might look into this as well.

What is a legal separation for, though? He'd still be my next of kin if I died intestate (which, please God, won't happen).

And how do I go about drawing one up without a solicitor?

wanchai_2

Old_Git wrote: »

Marti Webb

My PC speakers are on the blink ATM, what is she singing?

caz2703

Ahh the joy of contested divorces - judges don't like to hear mud slinging so they tend to issue cross-decrees which is what just happened to me. Basically you agree with the ex's reasons for divorce, he agrees with your reasons and you donate another organ/limb on your way out of the court house.

We could have had been divorced fully & finally last year but because of his ego, my ex refused to agree to my petition so it cost another £1000 on top of the £1000 already paid and I still only have a decree nisi as he's dragging his heels on the financials now. The daft thing is it's not like having fault assigned means you walk round with a neon sign to tell everyone. I was advised if I was petitioned that I should deny everything but state that financially the money was better spent on my children than fighting a moral battle. My ex had other ideas but who knows if it was poor legal advice or him just being him.

Good luck and be glad you found out now. I'm 2 kids down the line and wishing I'd made better choices but you live and learn. Try and keep solicitors out of it as they complicate matters and end up causing more division and doing what's easiest for themselves rather than what they should do. Quick example - my ex wanted to break the contact order he took me to court for by taking the kids outside of NI last summer. I was advised by the solicitor to just allow him as "sure Donegal is near enough NI anyway". The solicitor was instructed to fight it and guess what ... a judge agreed with me and refused to allow the ex to break the order :beer: