| Term | Main definition |
|---|---|
| D8 | Divorce petition form. |
| Decree Absolute | Final stage of the divorce process, enabling the parties to re-marry. |
| Decree Nisi | Preliminary stage of the divorce process. |
| Deemed Service | Order by which the Court declares that service of the petition has been made on the respondent. |
| Defined Contact | Pattern of contact defined by a detailed schedule in order to eliminate the chances of misunderstanding and dispute. |
| Deponent | Person who gives evidence by affidavit, affirmation or deposition. |
| Desertion | One of the five facts that can be used as the basis for a divorce. Desertion refers to the situation where one spouse has abandoned the other spouse, often their whereabouts is unknown. It is one of the less common grounds for divorce. |
| Designated Family Centre (DFC) | Administrative hub to which initial applications are made and where hearings take place. |
| Direction | Instruction by a judge contained within an order for someone to do something. |
| Directions Appointment | Hearing at which the judge makes directions. |
| Disbursements | Costs charged by a solicitor to cover payments to third parties. |
| Disclosure | Process of revealing confidential documents and information to the Court and to other parties. |
| District Judge | Officer of the court who deals with applications to initiate children proceedings in which there is some complexity. |
| Divorce Centre | One of eleven regional centres which deal with divorce petitions. |
| DIY divorce | This is when you manage your own divorce. This typically means completing the court forms yourself and communicating with the court throughout the process - whether as the applicant or the respondent in a divorce. |