A judge will grant the couple a preliminary divorce decree, or decree nisi.
From the edition.cnn.com
We discovered we had both received decree nisi papers that week.
From the guardian.co.uk
I am therefore seeking a divorce, or at least a decree nisi from what a friend of mine called The Lunatics'Lantern.
From the eadt.co.uk
On 11 November 1927, with Constance Murray as petitioner, a decree nisi with costs against Henry Murray was granted on the grounds of desertion.
From the en.wikipedia.org
After we split up she refused to give me access to my son, Jim, who was four, even though our decree nisi said I could see him on Wednesday and Sunday every week.
From the guardian.co.uk
There was no legal obligation for 50-year-old Madonna or Guy Ritchie, 40, to attend the hearing at which they were granted a decree nisi, the first of two stages of divorce.
From the kansas.com
The committee was appointed on 26 June 1946 and published its first report in July, which reduced the time between decree nisi and decree absolute from 6 months to 6 weeks.