The Office for National Statistics have this week released their bulletin for divorces in England and Wales in 2020. The bulletin reveals that there was in fact a decrease of 4.5% in the number of divorces over the 12-month period when compared with 2019.
This would support the idea that Covid-19 has brought couples together rather than driven them apart – something many couples will struggle to believe!
Other reasons for the decrease in divorces could be attributed to:
1. People being unable, or even unwilling, to access and legal advice which they are receiving remotely. Many people do not have access to video platforms or smartphones and would simply feel more comfortable having legal advice in person.
2. Couples have been at home together much more than they presumably usually would. This might have meant an inability to instruct a solicitor and get legal advice without the knowledge of the other party.
3. The Courts, like everyone else, have had to adapt to a new way of working. This inevitably led to a backlog, with some courts even temporarily suspending their operations for a period of time. The reduced number of divorces could simply be due to less divorces being processed by the Court in the period..
It will be certainly interesting to see how the 2021 bulletin will read. The Courts may have adapted to the new way of working and have relieved much of the backlog, many may have been more willing to get legal advice remotely and many may simply have had enough of numerous lockdowns with their partner to wait any longer!
How the bulletin will read for 2021 is of course unknown at this stage. From a professional viewpoint there does appear to be obvious increase in work following lockdown easing and the new, more streamline online Court processes.
Looking to the future there is a risk that there will be an influx of divorces in April 2022, when the much awaited ‘no-fault divorce’ is introduced by the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020. The new law will mean no blame being placed on either party and will reduce risk of further hostility between the separated couple. Further information about the changes to the law surrounding divorce can be read on our January blog.
If you need advice on divorce and finances our experienced, friendly family law team at Taylor & Emmet are here to support you.
Contact us on 0114 218 4000 or via email at info@tayloremmet.co.uk to find out more for how we can help you.
