The introduction of no fault divorce and dissolution of civil partnerships is a welcome step forward in what has often felt a like an outdated process which too often relied on one pointing the finger of blame at the other, particularly if they wanted to end the marriage quickly.
Wanting to separate can happen for a variety of reasons, including couples who want to end a relationship on very amicable terms where both have simply fallen out of love. This was not easy to do at all and would force them into having to complain about their spouse’s behaviour. These changes should, in theory, put an end to the blame game and make it much easier for people to bring their legal relationships to a conclusion. Gone are the allegations of affairs and unreasonable behaviour.
At the same time, these changes could leave one person reeling from the ease with which their partner can end their relationship. Simply signing a statement of irretrievable break down and issuing the application with a quick click of a button online, starts a digital process of ending the relationship. The changes also mean that the ability to defend the application will also be made much more difficult, meaning if one partner says the relationship has irretrievably broken down, the other has no grounds to say otherwise.
It seems inevitable that these changes would eventually come about, and it will certainly be interesting to see whether the rates of divorce or dissolution increase over the course of the year as a result.
If you would like to speak to a member of our specialist divorce solicitors team please call us on 0161 696 6193.
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