From 6 April 2022, the new legislation authorising no-fault divorce will come into force.

This long-awaited change has been in the pipeline for several years and is one of the most significant overhauls to family law within the last 25 years.

A new online divorce process to accommodate the above will mean that the old portal service will close at 4pm on 31 March 2022.

Key dates to note

• Online applications must be submitted by 4pm on 31 March 2022
• Paper applications must be received by 4pm on 31 March 2022
• The new paper and digital services will be accessible from 6 April 2022
• Urgent applications submitted between 4pm on 31 March and 6 April 2022 will continue to be accepted and issued where possible, if received by post or email before 4pm on 5 April 2022

It is important to note that applications received by the above dates cannot be guaranteed to be issued before 6 April 2022. It is therefore advisable to submit applications as soon as possible ahead of the above dates.