Acknowledgement Of Service
The process of acknowledgement of service is where the respondent accepts the divorce petition, and completes a form and sends it to the court.
The respondent is required to make a number of decisions:
1. Whether they accept that the divorce should go ahead, or if they want to prevent the divorce.
Only pop stars defend divorces, and there is usually little the respondent can do to prevent the divorce – but that is not the whole story.
2. Whether they accept the reasons given for divorce.
It is not very usual for the respondent to object to the grounds given by the petitioner, but there are ways to hasten an undefended divorce and still protect yourself.
3. Whether they are prepared to accept and pay for the costs of the divorce.
There are a number of general principles in relation to costs of an undefended divorce, which are as follows:
It’s common for the petitioner to claim for costs in the divorce petition. Many couples go 50/50, which works out at about £500 each.
It is the responsibility of the respondent to use the Acknowledgement of Service form in order to indicate whether the claim is accepted or disputed, or if they wish to limit the claim to a specific amount.
If the petitioner pursues the claim, the judge will ask the respondent to attend the pronouncement of decree nisi to argue their point. If the claim becomes a significant issue, the case may be adjourned to a time that’s more suitable.
The Costs
The figure of about £1000 only relates to the divorce proceedings, and not anything else relating to financial/children issues.
Once a decision has been made on the three above points, you must then complete and return the Acknowledgement of Service to the court.
At Hylton-Potts we have huge experience and skills in this field. We are cheaper and better than solicitors.
