Be wary of dealing with a divorce online

By Amanda Erskine

A recent case involving a man from Pembrokeshire has highlighted the potential risks of dealing with divorce online.

The man was fined by the Court for bigamy after his estranged wife discovered photographs of him marrying another woman. The husband and wife separated in 2010 and the husband paid £600 to an online divorce company to deal with his divorce paperwork. Divorce proceedings were started in 2011 but were never finalised and the parties did not receive their Decree Absolute (the formal divorce decree). The husband pleaded guilty to the bigamy charge and was ordered to pay £400 in fines and a further £400 in costs.

The case highlights that whilst online divorce services may be able to provide savings to clients, such sites should be treated with caution and clients should be aware of the legal advice they are receiving. If proceedings are not correctly finalised then further problems and costs can be incurred in the future. At Barker Gotelee we are able to offer a free and confidential initial consultation to anyone who is already going through or is contemplating starting divorce proceedings and needs support and advice.

Amanda Erskine is a solicitor in the Family department at Barker Gotelee Solicitors.

Ipswich Family Solicitors – for more information on our range of legal services, please call the team on 01473 611211 or email [email protected]