Relationships don’t always turn out how you hoped. You had great dreams of finding the love of your life and being with them forever. But, something changed and now you don’t want to be with them anymore. There are countless reasons a married couple might get a divorce – some of which are totally amicable. Still, it’s not a decision to take lightly. It used to be difficult to get a divorce after less than 2 years together, but things have now changed for the better.
Divorce is a legal process that costs money, so you don’t want to jump into it right away. You need to assess your relationship and decide if it is the right thing to do.
Having said that, there are lots of common questions people have when considering a divorce. One of these relates to how long you have to be married before getting a divorce. There’s a lot of misinformation and confusion out there, with some resources claiming you need to be married for two years before you can get divorced. Is this true? In short, no, it isn’t!
You can get a divorce after one year of marriage
As long as you have been married for one year, you can apply for a divorce. According to the government guidelines, as long as your marriage is legally recognised and your relationship has permanently broken down, you can get divorced. You no longer need to wait and can get a divorce after less than 2 years of marriage.
So, where does this whole idea of two years come into play? Well, there used to be a rule where you could only get a divorce before two years if someone was assigned fault. One partner had to accuse the other of ruining the relationship, or else you’d have to wait for two years to get divorced. This is now no longer the case as new rules were brought in in April 2022.
Nowadays, if you have been married for a year, you can get a no-contest divorce that’s amicable between both parties. No blame needs to be assigned, so the entire process tends to be a lot better practically and emotionally for everyone involved.
Is divorce right for you?
Honestly, only you can tell yourself if this is the case. Look at your relationship and consider where things have broken down. Is it possible for you to fix things – maybe you just need a little break from one another? Who knows, after a few months apart, you realise that you do need one another and your marriage can continue.
On the other hand, you shouldn’t force something that’s no longer there. If you don’t think this relationship is good for you or your well-being, you should file for a divorce. Ensure you work with attorneys like Fullers Family Law that specialise in this legal domain. The legal process can be lengthy, but it will be made much simpler if you have proper lawyers that know what they’re talking about.
To sum everything up, your marriage can end in divorce if you have been married for at least a year. Once the year is up, you can file for divorce on any grounds. The two-year rule is no longer in action – so don’t be confused if you still see it spoken about online.
