My partner will have been separated from his wife for five years in November. She has said all along that she won’t give him a divorce. Could she still contest it after November? Will he need to supply the original marriage certificate, which she won’t release to him?
The only circumstance in which a respondent can contest a divorce petition after they have lived apart for five years is where divorce would cause grave financial or other hardship. It’s rare for this to prevent a divorce from going ahead, however. Your partner will be able to obtain a certified copy of the marriage certificate from the register office in the district where the marriage took place, or from the General Register Office in Southport.