The legal process of divorce
The divorce petition is sent to the court
A copy is sent to your spouse/civil partner
Your spouse/civil partner completes an Acknowledgement Of Service form
If uncontested, you sign a statement confirming the details are true
The Judge considers all the papers and decides if you are entitled to the divorce
The court sets the date for pronouncement of the Decree Nisi (or Conditional Order if for a Civil Partnership dissolution)
6 weeks and 1 day after Decree Nisi you can apply for the Decree Absolute (or Final Order if for a Civil Partnership dissolution)
On average, it will take 3 to 6 months from the date when the divorce petition is lodged with the court until the Decree Absolute or Final order is pronounced. Different courts have different timescales and the process will take longer if either spouse or civil partner delays taking a particular step.