Women start 61% of divorce proceedings. For the past 100 years* in the UK, women have been granted majority of divorces every year. In 2016 (the latest year for which we have statistics) 61% of divorce petitions were filed by women, 39% by men. Out of 106,600 divorces, 65,100 were granted to women. *1924 was…
Glossary of legal terms and phrases commonly used in divorce, family law and cases about children. This glossary focusses on private family law terms and phrases. Private law cases are brought by private individuals, generally in connection with divorce or the parents’ separation. Adjourn / Adjournment Where the case, or a hearing, is directed to take…
There are five facts you can use to obtain a divorce in England & Wales. The question of who pays for the costs of the divorce will normally be determined by the fact which is proven in the divorce. The five facts are adultery, unreasonable behaviour, desertion, 2 years separation (with consent) and 5 years…
Nearly half of all UK marriages end in divorce. However, the likelihood of getting divorced varies during the course of a marriage. Official statistics show that after a brief honeymoon period during a young marriage, couples are most at risk of divorcing after their five year anniversary. The UK Office for National Statistics publish annual…
Family law cases in England & Wales are dealt with in the Family Division of the High Court, by district judges in County Courts and in the Magistrates’ Courts. Many of the decisions of the family court are available to read online. You can read more about where family law cases will be dealt with…
While the number of cohabiting couples in the UK has more than doubled, the numbers of married and lone parent families have remained stable. Cohabiting couple family numbers more than doubled from 1.5 million families in 1996 to 3.3 million families in 2017. Despite an increasing number of couples choosing to cohabit and have children…
In England & Wales we have a fault based divorce system. Alleging unreasonable behaviour by a spouse is a method of demonstrating fault. In our system, evidence needs to be put before the court to demonstrate that there are grounds for divorce: an irretrievable breakdown in the relationship. You can read more about the different…
Family matters in England & Wales can be dealt with in the Family Division of the High Court, by district judges in County Courts and in Family Proceedings Courts, which are specialist Magistrates’ Courts. The High Court of Justice is one of the three Senior Courts of England & Wales, along with the Court of…
Marriage rates are the best indicators of annual trends because they take into account the numbers of unmarried people in the country. The UK’s Office for National Statistics has released its 2018 annual bulletin on Marriages in England & Wales. These latest statistics relate to marriages in 2015 and were published here on 28 February…
New sentencing guidelines will make domestic abuse in the home a more serious offence and include reference to the use of social media to carry out abuse. People convicted of domestic abuse offences will be more likely to go to prison. The Sentencing Council has issued new guidelines for all offenders who are sentenced for domestic…