The number of divorces in England and Wales has fallen to its lowest rate since 1971 according to figures released last week.
According to the latest ONS figures a total of 80,057 divorces occurred in 2022: 78,759 opposite sex divorces and a further 1,298 same sex divorces. That’s a significant fall from the 2021 figures of 111,934 and 1,571 respectively, and considerably down from 1993 when divorce rates peaked with 165,018 divorces granted.
The significant drop in the divorce rate is very surprising given that many commentators had believed that the introduction of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act in April 2022 would make the process of divorce easier by introducing no-fault divorce and ending the ‘blame game’.
This year’s data also includes a figure for a ‘joint’ final order for the first time, with 2,039 joint orders recorded. Interestingly, females were almost twice as likely to apply the final order than men: 48,735 and 27,820.
Taking a closer look at who was responsible for making the applications, we see that sole applications were most common in opposite-sex divorces (71.7%), whereas joint applications were most common in make same-sex dissolutions (66.7%).
Victoria Walker, Partner in Moore Barlow’s Family Team commented:
“The ONS figures on no-fault divorce have seen a significant decline but it’s important to remember that these figures are already over a year behind what we’re currently witnessing.
Today, fewer and fewer couples want to ‘fight it out in court’, and rightly so, more people are moving towards a conscious approach, which uses mediation and helps both partners deal with what is undoubtedly an emotional time. This is, of course, a welcomed change spurred on by the no-fault divorce, especially where children are involved. We’re even seeing a rise in couples wanting to use one lawyer for the process, which is a completely new approach to divorce.”
Written by Victoria Walker, Partner in Moore Barlow’s Family Team.
