Identify what is agreed and what is disputed
Separate the wish to end the marriage from residence and contact arrangements for children, financial support and division of property. Agreement to divorce does not show agreement on those other questions.
The lawyer should establish whether the divorce can be registered through the applicable civil-status procedure or whether court proceedings are needed. The Public Service Development Agency publishes the registration requirements.
Put a workable child arrangement on the table
Address ordinary school weeks, holidays, handovers, calls and practical care. If contact has stopped or safety is in issue, consider the immediate arrangement instead of waiting for the final divorce outcome.
A child may need separate representation. Your lawyer should identify any conflict between parental proposals and the child’s needs and respond to an inadequate agency assessment. The companion child-residence guide explains how to raise those failures.
Explain the money problem in concrete terms
Identify the child’s ordinary living and education costs and what each parent is paying. For property, identify the asset, acquisition circumstances, finance and current control. A joint loan, an asset in one name and an asset already being sold raise different questions.
Where an imminent disposal threatens a claim, discuss an appropriate protective application promptly. Where essential maintenance is not being paid, identify the temporary or substantive relief required rather than treating support as something that can only be discussed at the end.
An agreement should settle the intended issues
State the obligations, dates and implementation steps. Identify which arrangements need court approval, registration or another formal step. Avoid leaving a major asset or a child-support issue unresolved because the document is called a full settlement.
If one spouse is abroad, identify how instructions, service and representation will work and how foreign marriage or court documents will be used. Remote preparation can be arranged, but attendance and recognition questions must be resolved for the particular procedure.
Official sources
- Public Service Development Agency: divorce registration
- Legal Aid Service: assistance in family disputes
Sources checked on 22 October 2026.
Agree the divorce work and the unresolved claims
Identify the immediate child, maintenance or property issue. Ask for the proposed applications, the work covered by the fee and the next decision you must make.