Need decree absolute advice please!

Kheeli

My ex-husband and I separated on 31/10/09. He decided to divorce me because at the time he was unemployed and would 'get it free', although the decision to divorce was mine.

The nisi was granted on 7/11/11.

Despite constant prodding he has not done whatever it is he needs to do to get the absolute. I'm pretty certain this is just down to laziness.

I've got the form to apply for the absolute myself but was wondering if there was anything I could do to avoid paying the £155 fee? £155 is totally out of my price range right now but I'm so sick of being married to this man. I'm checking now if we're eligible for reduced/free fees but I think we earn just over the limit.

I've phoned his solicitors (to get them to poke him into doing it), they took his name and said they'd 'pass that on' to the solicitor. I doubt v.much this will happen. He's changed his contact number since the nisi and not informed them. They didn't want his new one from me and said he 'should have told them he's changed numbers'. He doesn't open post so they can't get into contact with him that way.

In the divorce it said
"your husband proposes only to claim the costs of the divorce from you if his petition is defended"

It wasn't. I don't know if that makes any difference?

swingaloo

Where has the £155 come from? A friend of mine has had to apply for one as his ex wife wants to marry again and he has never got the absolute. He rang the court who have told him to send a letter explaining why he never got it at the time (2009) and the cost is £47.

Im also in the same dilemma as Im going to get married for the 2nd time. My ex husband has remarried and so must have applied for the absolute but when I rang the registry office to say I only had a copy of the nisi I was told that I had to have the absolute in my own name and so will have to pay for that even though my ex must have got his in order to remarry. His copy apperently wouldnt class as valid evidence for me to book the registry office.

Kheeli

I rang the court today and asked how much, they said £155 I also found this price online.

If he applied it would be £45, because it's me (respondent) it's £155.

Kheeli

https://www.gov.uk/divorce/apply-for-a-decree-absolute under the heading 'If your husband or wife started the divorce'

swingaloo

I understand now. But Im even more confused as the site says its £155 if the petitioner hasnt applied. In my case he must have applied as he has remarried so now Im not sure how to proceed, think I will call the court.

Errata

Get a credit card, take £155 in cash, pay that off over umpteen years, job done.

Kheeli

Sounds like you just need a copy of it swingaloo, which is entirely different.

Try here: https://www.gov.uk/copy-decree-absolute-final-order

Kheeli

...unless he's a bigamist :-D

Kheeli

Thanks Errata ;-) Not sure I'll be going down that route! I guess I wanted to know if there was a kind of DIY way of doing it!

themull1

If he got the absolute because he married again, you should have received an automatic copy from the court when he applied for it.

laurel7172

I didn't get a copy from the court. But I got two copies (one for student finance and one in case they lost it!) for....well, it was less than £20... All I needed was the court reference number.