Divorce

Divorce refers to the legal dissolution of your marriage. In New Zealand, you can apply to dissolve your marriage two years after you and your spouse separated. We help clients apply for the dissolution of their marriage either jointly with their spouse or on their own. 

Sometimes spouses disagree on the date they separated, which may mean one party wishes to oppose an application for dissolution of marriage. When an application is opposed, it is often because the separation date will impact the division of the parties’ property. We advise and act for clients in contested dissolution of marriage applications. 

We also represent clients bringing or defending applications for an order declaring their marriage void. Unlike an application for dissolution of marriage, you do not need to wait two years to apply for a declaration that your marriage was void. 

In order to have your marriage declared void, you need to satisfy the Court that you did not consent to the marriage due to duress, mistake, lack of mental capacity or for any other reason. This is a very high threshold to meet. We provide clients with realistic advice on whether an application for a declaration as to the validity of their marriage is likely to succeed.