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The D8 form and its importance in divorce proceedings

The Divorce Petition, also known as a D8 form, is the document that, following it having been completed and submitted to court, starts the divorce process. This form is a vital part of the process as it provides the court with all of the information it will require in order to administer the divorce such as the parties’ full names, dates of birth, addresses etc. Along with this, the Divorce Petition will also need to state the reasons for the divorce – reasons which will be reviewed by a judge who will use them to determine whether or not they are sufficient enough for a divorce to be granted.

Additionally, the D8 form will need to reference any prior court proceedings concerning the couple’s marriage, their children or property. If, for example, the couple filed for divorce previously but did not finalise matters, or there’s been an application for an order concerning children/property, then the relevant case number, the court within which the matter was filed/heard and the outcome must be noted.

Section six and seven

As we’ve said previously, the D8 form will need to state which of the five grounds for divorce you intend to rely. In addition to this, you will need to provide additional information in support of this ground.

In the event that you’re filing on the grounds of two or five-year separation, the only additional information you will need to provide will be the date on which you came to the conclusion that your marriage was at an end and the date on which you and your spouse began living separate lives. If, however, you intend to file on the grounds of adultery or unreasonable behaviour, you will need to provide a short statement in support of your application.

All of this information will need to be provided within sections six and seven of your D8 form.

Section nine

Section nine is another vital section of your divorce petition: it is here that you will need to provide details of any prior court proceedings and, as failing to do so can cause significant delays to your application, you should provide as much information as possible.

Section ten

When completing section ten you should ensure that you state that you do intend to apply for a financial order in the future. This does not mean that you will have to apply for an order of any kind. It does mean, however, that you will be able to in the future if you need to.