Partner, Family Law
In 2021 it was announced that Fantastic Four actor, Ioan Gruffudd was divorcing his wife of thirteen years, Alice Evans. He went public with his new girlfriend, Bianca Wallace, and his wife has since made accusations that he was having an affair during the marriage.
A Family Solicitor at Simpson Millar’s Manchester office talks about how the Court addresses adultery, the impact of you or your ex entering into a new relationship whilst still legally married, and financial settlements.
If you’d like legal advice about getting a divorce, please get in touch with our Divorce Solicitors.
For more information about how we can help with your divorce, get in touch with our team on 0808 239 3465 or
Previously, you used to have to prove that your partner had committed adultery.
If your partner refused to admit to their adultery or sign a confession statement, you had to gather and disclose evidence to the Court of the adultery. It’s difficult to prove beyond an intention to commit adultery and an intention to commit alone will not satisfy the Court.
Defended cases can end up costing you more in legal costs because of the time taken to draw up statements as evidence and attend contested Court hearings.
However, with the divorce law having been updated, you no longer have to prove adultery to the satisfaction of the Courts. With no-fault divorces being introduced, this need has been removed.
If you wish to divorce your partner if they have committed adultery, you simply don’t have to prove it happened.
You can file for divorce jointly with your spouse or alone. Once your application has been received, it will be checked and verified. You will both receive a notice that your application has been issued, a copy of your application, and a case number.
If you applied by yourself, the Court will send a notification to your spouse, informing them that you have filed for divorce.
Your spouse has the right to dispute the divorce by completing an ‘answer form’ and state why they disagree with it. They must have a reasonable excuse why they feel that the divorce isn’t right. They are not able to dispute the divorce because they simply don’t want divorce, as this reason will not be accepted. If they decide to dispute the divorce, you may need to go to Court.
When you get a divorce, the property you lived in together is usually the largest asset. This is known as the former matrimonial home. Because it’s usually the largest asset, it can also be the subject of the biggest contention when you separate.
Whether you’re separating earlier or later in life, the most valuable asset in a divorce is often your family home. But when you’re in the autumn of your life, there are things to consider in divorce such as your mortgage capacity and matrimonial home rights.
It’s never too late to enter into a new relationship but it is important to plan for the future and think about your finances. And at this point in your life, there’s a lot to think about when entering a new relationship.
Government Digital Service (2011). Get a divorce. [online] GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/divorce.
www.simpsonmillar.co.uk. (2022). Family Law Solicitors | Family Divorce Lawyers | Simpson Millar Solicitors. [online] Available at: /family-law-solicitors/
Lorraine is a Partner at Simpson Millar, specialising in Family Law for over 20 years.
She handles middle to high net value cases, including pension claims and complex trust, and also advises on pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements.
Lorraine has unrivalled knowledge of public sector pensions, in particular police pensions, having advised police officers on pension claims for two decades.
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