The number of applications to divorce in the UK has unexpectedly fallen by 8% to 108,900 in the year to September 30 2020 from 118,100 in the previous year, contrary to popular belief that marriage break-ups would spike during the Coronavirus lockdown, says Wilsons, a leading private client law firm.
Many commentators, in the UK and globally, had predicted a ‘divorce boom’ caused by increased strained brought upon by months of being stuck under the same roof as one’s spouse. However, official data shows that this has not taken place in the UK.
Graham Coy, Partner at Wilsons, comments:
“Many had predicted that lockdown would trigger a big jump in divorces. In reality, that rise simply hasn’t happened in the way that many had predicted.”
“The lockdown has placed relationships under tremendous pressure but on these statistics, it hasn’t caused these relationships to buckle and break.”
“Some people may not have gone ahead with divorces as they are in a time of such financial and employment uncertainty.”
“Other couples are pausing to think about what really matters to them and finding a way to stay together.”
