Divorce applications soar to highest for a decade after major change in law
DIVORCE applications are at their highest for a decade after a change in the law.
There were 33,566 in April to June — a fifth more than the same period in 2021, figures show.
Almost all were made under the new no-fault legislation, three in four by sole applicants, the Ministry of Justice said.
The law, which applied in England and Wales from April 6, lets couples divorce without apportioning blame.
A statement of irretrievable breakdown, made individually or together, is seen as “conclusive evidence”.
The law brought in a 20-week period for “meaningful” reflection from starting proceedings to applying for a conditional order.
READ MORE ON DIVORCE
Under the old law, there were 19,758 decree absolutes in April to June, a 35 per cent fall on the same period last year.
Average wait from petition date to decree absolute was 56 weeks, up seven.
The MoJ blamed “resourcing issues”.
