Divorce news

From the micro the macro, there are countless reasons why a marriage might break down. When it comes to divorce petitions however, the complexities of life are distilled into five grounds for divorce: adultery, unreasonable behaviour, desertion, separation for a period of two years or separation for a period of five years (in this instance, your spouse does not need to agree to the divorce). Since 2006, the most common ground for divorce given by both husbands and wives has been... Read More

New figures published by the Office for National Statistics reveal a sharp rise in the total number of divorces between opposite-sex couples in 2019. Compared to the previous year, in which 90,781 opposite-sex couples divorced, 2019 saw 107,599 couples dissolve their marriage, an increase of 18.4 per cent. This annual increase is the greatest percentage rise since 1972 and means 2019 saw the highest number of opposite-sex divorces since 2014, when 111,169 were recorded. This... Read More

With time running out for the UK to agree a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU, the prospect of no-deal is becoming increasingly likely. The UK’s future relationship with the European Union will have a significant impact across the board, and family law is no exception. So what are the implications for divorce if the UK does not agree a deal with the EU? If no deal is agreed, two key stages of the divorce process will be significantly affected: jurisdiction and... Read More

Divorce, inevitably, is a time of change. Yet, when it comes to the financial aspects of divorce, the courts try to retain stability: indeed, until it was superseded in 1984, the Matrimonial Causes Act instructed the court to “place the parties…in the financial position in which they had been if the marriage had not broken down”. While this clause has now become defunct, the general principle remains. Known for their wide discretion and generosity toward... Read More

Despite the closeness of Scotland and England geographically, the two countries adopt very different approaches when it comes to the issue of financial maintenance on divorce. In England, lifetime maintenance is not unusual whereas in Scotland a “clean break” is strongly encouraged and so maintenance awards exceeding three years are quite rare. An English court is therefore likely to be far more generous than their Scottish counterpart when it comes to the question of... Read More

Lockdown has forced everyone to change the way they live their lives and divorcing couples are no exception. With many countries around the world reporting a rise in divorce petitions once lockdown measures are eased, divorcing couples have had to change tactics and approaches. Cooped up with their partner and without the usual opportunities for solitude, individuals have had to resort to a creative use of technology to able to communicate securely. Speaking to The... Read More

With lockdown restrictions becoming increasingly effective in tackling the spread of COVID-19, attention has turned to re-opening parts of the economy which had previously been frozen. In early May, it was announced that the property market would be one of the first market segments to re-open, provided that strict social distancing guidelines were still followed. Immediately following this announcement, Emma Gill, head of Vardags’ Manchester office and director of... Read More

Will the re-opening of the property market affect divorce rates? Emma Gill, Director of Divorce and Family Law and head of our Manchester office, offered her opinion on BBC Radio 4's World at One. You can listen to the segment from 26:15.   Read More

The Justice Secretary, David Gauke, confirmed last week that no-fault divorce was to be introduced into law. The reforms, set to be introduced in the next session of Parliament, are expected to allow couples to submit joint petitions stating that their marriage has irretrievably broken down, removing the need for one partner to prove that the other has behaved unreasonably to secure permission from a judge to divorce. The announcement followed successful lobbying from Ayesha... Read More