Is she divorced?

[willyboy]

Where can my partner of 25yrs find out whether or not her still supposedly husband has filed for and got a divorce (if that makes sense) within those 25 years

[Eve]

Hi, this is a good link to the standard legal procedure to put it in context...http://www.ntl.com/home/contact/generic/custom er.asp. Her husband could have can applied for decree absolute six weeks and one day after the decree nisi. If the your partner failed to apply, then h could have applied for decree absolute three months later after the date that he could first have applied for it.

Divorce records for England and Wales can be obtained from

Principal Registry of the Family Division
Decree Absolute Search Section
First Avenue House
42-49 High Holborn
London
WC1B 6NP

Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Website: HM Courts Service

Postal enquiries are liable to a fee of �20.00 (plus postage) for a decree absolute in each 10 year period searched.

Hope this helps :)

[tommy39]

hi i had the same problem 2 years ago . i went to the local magistrares court asked and got it there and then cost me a fiver well worth it

[willyboy]

Thanks for the answers. Because we both live in France we cannot be 'on the spot' so have to start with internet, then phone. The contacts you have posted will come in handy. Thanks again

[Suzyboo]

He cannot have got a divorce without proving he had notified your partner. The divorce should be easy to obtain though provided you have an address for him.

[willyboy]

Thanks Suzyboo, and l don't disbelieve you.
I would have thought though that after 25yrs he could have got a divorce without notifying my partner. Neither of them knows where each other is.
Regards

[Eve]

If her ex-husband filed a petition, the courts would have posted a copy of the petition to her and any co-respondents named in the petition.

If no acknowledgement of service was made within 8 days the court would have contacted her ex-husband asking for more details and, if necessary, arranged for personal service eg by a baliff/recorded delivery.

He would have needed to have proved that the your partner and any named Co-Respondent received the divorce papers. In exceptional circumstances, where it was deemed that every attempt has been made to ensure that your partner had received the divorce papers, the court could have made an order dispensing with the need to effect service.

It is possible but your partner would probably have a better idea whether this could happened in light of her own personal circumstances.