DivorceWise

Guides · 24 at launch

Six chapters, in the order most people need them

Start where you are. Each guide names the Act or official page it comes from and carries the date it was last checked. Figures that cannot be verified are left out rather than guessed.

Chapter 1 of 6

Starting out

Separation, judicial separation and divorce: what each one is and which applies to you.

5 guides

  1. 1.1Verified 2026-10-07How long do you have to be separated before divorce in Ireland? The two-in-three-years ruleTo divorce in Ireland you must have lived apart for at least two of the previous three years. See how periods add up, when living under one roof counts, and worked examples with dates.Read →
  2. 1.2Verified 2026-10-07Judicial separation in Ireland: grounds, process, orders and costJudicial separation needs one of five grounds, including one year living apart. Learn the process, the forms, the orders a court can make, what it costs and how it differs from divorce.Read →
  3. 1.3Verified 2026-10-07Mediation for divorce and separation in Ireland: the free Family Mediation Service and what it can settleThe Legal Aid Board's Family Mediation Service is free. Find out how to apply, what mediation can and cannot settle, what private mediators cost, and why pensions still need a court order.Read →
  4. 1.4Verified 2026-10-07Separation agreements in Ireland: what a deed of separation covers and why there is no template hereA deed of separation is a binding contract covering children, maintenance, the home, money and pensions. Here is a checklist of clauses, what it cannot do, and why a template is a poor fit.Read →
  5. 1.5Verified 2026-10-07Separation, judicial separation and divorce in Ireland: which route fits your situationLegal separation keeps you married; divorce ends the marriage. Ireland's three routes compared: separation agreement, judicial separation and divorce, what each can do, who decides and how long you must be apart.Read →
Chapter 2 of 6

Cost and help

What it costs, who can get legal aid, and how to choose a solicitor.

3 guides

  1. 2.1Verified 2026-10-07How much does a divorce cost in Ireland?There is no court fee for divorce in Ireland. Cost depends on the route: apply yourself, a solicitor with everything agreed (survey floor about €5,000 per spouse) or contested at €10,000–€20,000+.Read →
  2. 2.2Verified 2026-10-07How to choose a divorce solicitor in IrelandWhat family-law specialisation looks like, the questions to ask at a first meeting, what a section 150 costs notice must contain, fixed fee versus hourly, and when you do not need a solicitor at all.Read →
  3. 2.3Verified 2026-10-07Legal aid for divorce in Ireland: who qualifies and what you payLegal aid covers divorce if your disposable income is under €18,000 a year and disposable capital under €100,000, excluding the family home. Contributions start at €30 for advice and €130 for aid.Read →
Chapter 3 of 6

Money and the home

The family home, maintenance, pensions and what the court calls proper provision.

5 guides

  1. 3.1Verified 2026-10-07Child maintenance calculator in Ireland: what the State tool does and does not doThe State child maintenance calculator, run by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, gives a non-binding estimate from both incomes, overnights and children's ages. How to use it.Read →
  2. 3.2Verified 2026-10-07Divorce settlement in Ireland: how courts decide proper provisionThere is no divorce settlement calculator in Ireland because there is no formula. The court must make proper provision by weighing twelve factors in section 20 of the Family Law (Divorce) Act 1996.Read →
  3. 3.3Verified 2026-10-07Pension adjustment orders in Ireland: how a court splits a pension on separation or divorceA pension adjustment order is the only way to split a pension in Ireland and only a court can make one, on judicial separation or divorce. One order per pension; the State pension cannot be split.Read →
  4. 3.4Verified 2026-10-07Spousal maintenance in Ireland: how it is decided, changed and enforcedIreland has no formula for spousal maintenance. The court weighs the section 20 factors, can order interim payments, can vary the amount later and can enforce it by attachment of earnings.Read →
  5. 3.5Verified 2026-10-07Who gets the house in a divorce in Ireland?No formula decides who keeps the home. The court weighs the section 20 factors and can order a sale, a transfer or a right to live there; neither spouse can sell without the other's written consent.Read →
Chapter 4 of 6

Children

Guardianship, custody and access, parenting plans and maintenance.

3 guides

  1. 4.1Verified 2026-10-07Child custody in Ireland: guardianship, custody and access explainedWhat guardianship, custody and access mean under the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964, who is a guardian automatically, how the court applies best interests, and the free District Court route.Read →
  2. 4.2Verified 2026-10-08Guardianship in Ireland: who is a guardian, how to become one and what a guardian decidesWho is automatically a guardian under the 1964 Act, the three routes for an unmarried father, step-parents and cohabitants, temporary and testamentary guardians, and what a guardian decides.Read →
  3. 4.3Verified 2026-10-08Parenting plans in Ireland: what to include and how to make one enforceableA parenting plan is a written agreement on where your child lives, time with each parent, holidays, school and disputes. A checklist of headings, the free mediation route, and how it becomes an order.Read →
Chapter 5 of 6

The court process

Which court, which documents, how long it takes, and the changes coming.

4 guides

  1. 5.1Verified 2026-10-08Circuit Court or High Court: which court hears your divorce in Ireland and how the list runsAlmost every Irish divorce is heard in the Circuit Court; the High Court only where land is worth over €3 million. The stages from civil bill to hearing, in camera, venue and the missing timeline.Read →
  2. 5.2Verified 2026-10-07Divorce documents in Ireland: every form and when you need itEvery document in an Irish divorce with its form number: Civil Bill (2N), Affidavit of Means (37A), Affidavit of Welfare (37B), Form 37D, the marriage certificate and the pension notice to trustees.Read →
  3. 5.3Verified 2026-10-07How divorce works in Ireland, step by stepThe Irish divorce process from first form to final order: the four conditions, the Circuit Court route, each step and who does it, the in camera rule, and why no official timeline exists.Read →
  4. 5.4Verified 2026-10-07The Family Courts Act 2024: what changes and whenThe Family Courts Act 2024 creates a Family High Court, Family Circuit Court and Family District Court. What is law now, what is only planned, and what it means for a divorce started in 2026 or 2027.Read →
Chapter 6 of 6

Afterwards and special cases

Cohabitants, foreign divorces, your will, and protection from abuse.

4 guides

  1. 6.1Verified 2026-10-07Cohabitation rights in Ireland: what unmarried couples can claimUnmarried couples have no automatic rights in Ireland. A qualified cohabitant (5 years together, or 2 with a child) can seek maintenance, property or pension orders within 2 years of separating.Read →
  2. 6.2Verified 2026-10-08Is a foreign divorce recognised in Ireland? The three sets of rules and what to do when it is notWhether Ireland recognises your divorce depends on where it was granted: EU divorces under Brussels II-ter, UK divorces under the 2020 Act, everywhere else on domicile. What to do if it is not.Read →
  3. 6.3Verified 2026-10-07Safety, barring and protection orders in IrelandSafety orders (up to 5 years), barring orders (up to 3 years), interim, emergency and protection orders under the Domestic Violence Act 2018. District Court, no fee, legal aid with no contribution.Read →
  4. 6.4Verified 2026-10-08Your will after divorce in Ireland: what changes, what does not, and the section 18 claimDivorce does not revoke a will in Ireland. A gift to your former spouse stands until you change it, but their legal right share ends. What to review, and the 6-month section 18 claim to watch for.Read →