The number of couples getting divorced is at the highest it has been in 5 years.

Nearly 108,000 male-female couples split in 2019 – that’s up by about a fifth from the previous year. For same sex couples the number of divorces has doubled in the same time

The most common reason for divorce was unreasonable behaviour. The other options at the moment are adultery or desertion.

Breaking Up isn’t hard to do

If both parties agree to divorce and have been separated for two years, they can then get divorced. If its contested the couple must have lived apart for five years. However we expect this to change with no fault divorces starting in April this year.

Its now the law for divorcing couples to listen to information about mediation unless the relationship is violent. As well as not being adversarial, mediation is much cheaper than two sets of lawyers. And a lot less unpleasant.