How quickly can it take to get a divorce in the United Kingdom?

L ife takes people in different directions and sometimes it takes married couples towards divorce. Naturally, one would wish that the process be as quick and painless as possible. But just how long does it take to get a divorce if you're living in the United Kingdom? First of all, the marriage must be legally recognized in the UK. You can get a divorce in England or Wales provided you have been married for at least one year. A different option is to get a legal separation, whereby the marriage is not terminated, yet the partners do not live together anymore. Once you have filed a divorce petition, you will need to wait for a decree. It will be a rather slow process, with the decree nisi taking about 4 months to be released, while the decree absolute usually taking around 12 months. The decree nisi signifies that the court is content with the grounds for separation presented by the parties, while the decree absolute officially ends the marriage. It may sound like a long and boring process. However, if both parties agree on the terms of the divorce the time frame may be slightly reduced. If one of the spouses does not agree to the divorce, the judge can order a hearing and a trial, the results of which are usually the termination of the marriage. Those hoping to quickly resolve a divorce situation in the United Kingdom will likely be disappointed.