A court can only grant your divorce if you have been living separately for 12 months. Applying for a divorce is a relatively straightforward matter; however, it is important to get the paperwork done correctly, particularly if you remain living together after your relationship has broken down.
When the court schedules a divorce list, it is my experience that that allow about 3 to 5 minutes for each divorce. This means that the list moves very fast and the application is either granted a divorce of not.
The main reason that a divorce is not granted, apart from the paper work being incorrect, is about service of the application on the absent spouse. If you cannot prove that the absent spouse was served with the documents the application will fail. In addition it is necessary to ensure the documents are served 28 days before the hearing. Service can be proved if your spouse signed an acknowledgement of service. Although tempting, this rarely goes to plan.
In our experience it is worth the money to engage a competent process server.
Remember, a divorce is not a financial settlement. This is a separate process and different matters have to be taken into account. The benefit of being a divorced person is that you become entitled to marry again.