The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has been positively received by the Marriage Foundation, as it illustrates that marriage stability in the UK is at its highest point in half a century.
These 2023 statistics are particularly noteworthy as they mark the first complete year since the enactment of the “no-fault divorce” legislation. The Marriage Foundation supported this legislative change, advocating that it would lead to a more amicable divorce process by eliminating the necessity to assign blame.
Even though the ONS data indicated a rise in divorces post-legislation, the Marriage Foundation characterized the increase as “small.” This uptick is attributed to expedited divorce processing and the resolution of court backlogs from the Covid lockdown period.
With the advent of no-fault divorces, the process has become swifter. Previously, couples had to either endure a two-year wait for a mutual divorce or assign fault to expedite proceedings.
Interestingly, the Marriage Foundation’s support for no-fault divorce hinges on research indicating that legal obstacles do not deter individuals determined to dissolve their marriage.
The analysis by the foundation reveals that current divorce rates have plummeted to their lowest since 1970, dispelling predictions of a divorce surge following the policy change.
Harry Benson, Research Director at the Marriage Foundation, remarked, “The change in the [divorce] rate is less than many of the fluctuations we have seen in recent years.”
“In short, there are no signs whatsoever of a rise in divorce rates. In fact these figures as our analysis shows confirm divorces are still at levels we last saw back in the 1970s.
“So this is good news on two fronts. Marriages are the strongest in 50 years and the legal system is now kind and sensible to those for whom it doesn’t work out.”
He added, “These figures are also a repudiation of those who prophesied a massive increase in the divorce rate, by removing blame from the divorce system – those fears were unfounded as many campaigners, like Marriage Foundation and family lawyers Resolution said at the time.”
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
