Divorce filings boom as ‘no-fault’ laws come into force
The introduction of new “no-fault” divorce laws has led to a surge in the number of couples filing for divorces, new government figures show.
Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service has confirmed it has received around 3,000 divorce applications in the past week, compared to averages of 2,072 applications a week last year.
For comparison, there were around 1,890 divorce applications filed each week in the fourth quarter of 2021, and 2,132 divorce filings each week in Q3.
Legal experts said the drop from Q3 to Q4 is probably a result of couples waiting for no-fault divorce laws to come into play, before filing for a divorce.
Winckworth Sherwood partner Hannah Gumbrill-War said: “it does seem that some people were holding out for the introduction of no-fault divorce before taking the plunge.”
However, the lawyer said the initial flurry may soon slow down as pent-up demand levels out.
The boom in the number of divorce filings comes after the government introduced new laws allowing couples to separate amicably, without attributing blame to either side.
Prior to the introduction of no-fault divorce, couples had been forced to point to one of five official reasons – including adultery, desertion, and unreasonable behaviour – in order to get a divorce.