Divorce proceedings issued by the Court on or before the 31st March 2023 will continue to progress under the old law and procedures until completed or until an application is made to withdraw it. If you withdraw your existing divorce application you can start again under the new, simpler, no fault divorce law and procedures.
Information about the new no fault divorce procedures which commenced on 3rd April 2023 can be found by clicking here
Please note that you cannot start a divorce application unless you have been married for more than one year.
The following sections will provide a general guide to the divorce process, as well as information about the proceedings and attempt to answer any questions or problems you may have.
For more information about the law, you should refer to:
- The Rules of the High Court (Matrimonial Proceedings) 2004
- The Rules of the High Court (Matrimonial Proceedings) (Amendment) 2009
- Matrimonial Proceedings Act 2003.
You can obtain a copy of these from the Tynwald Library (contact details for which can be found on the Tynwald website), your local library or the Manx Citizens Advice Service (+44 (0) 1624 813466) may also have a copy of the Act and Rules. There may have been several changes to the Rules since they were first published so make sure that you see all relevant amendments.
Please note that the court staff cannot help you to decide what to put on the forms, or give you any advice about your case. The court will always recommend if you are unsure of the relevant Acts/Rules which relate to applications, or have queries regarding the contents of applications you should seek legal advice and/or contact a Manx advocate. The names of Manx advocates who are Family Law practitioners may be obtained from the Isle of Man Law Society.