No-fault Divorce: Petitions Soar Following April’s Legislation
No-fault Divorce: Petitions Soar Following April’s Legislation
BY JAMIE LENNOX
Jamie Lennox from Today’s Family Lawyer explains why the recent no-fault divorce law has created an exponential rise in divorce petitions.
The new law ensures that partners who seek an amicable separation do not have to blame their former partner to prove the breakdown of the marriage. Just like mediation this is an approach that preserves relationships.
The statistics revealed an exponential rise in divorce petitions between April and June 2022 following the introduction of the new no-fault legislation in April of this year.
In this period, there were 33,234 applications made under the new law – 78% from sole applicants, 22% from joint applicants. There were 33,566 applications altogether made under both old and new laws. This represents an increase of 22% from the same quarter in 2021 and represents the highest number of applications in a decade.
“A rise in petitions being filed is a clear indicator of the effects that no-fault divorce law has had on people across the country,” said Joanna Farrands, partner and divorce lawyer at Moore Barlow. She continued: “Before its long-awaited introduction in the Spring, couples were delaying taking action to divorce in favour of the new, less acrimonious process – allowing them to focus on who and what matters the most. It’s clear from today’s figures that we’re starting to see the fruits of this seismic change to family law take centre stage, with more people seeking an amicable way forward from their marriage.
With the cost of living crisis continuing to bite, favouring a more amicable and harmonious approach to divorce process. Traditionally, we see a spike in divorce cases as we head into the latter stages of the year as people reassess their lifestyle and priorities after the summer holiday period. However, with the influx of cases already appearing since April, it’s already shaping up to be quite the divorce season.”
