Divorce applications soar to highest for a decade after major change in law

DIVORCE applications are at their highest for a decade after a change in the law.

There were 33,566 in April to June — a fifth more than the same period in 2021, figures show.

Almost all were made under the new no-fault legislation, three in four by sole applicants, the Ministry of Justice said.

The law, which applied in England and Wales from April 6, lets couples divorce without apportioning blame.

A statement of irretrievable breakdown, made individually or together, is seen as “conclusive evidence”.

The law brought in a 20-week period for “meaningful” reflection from starting proceedings to applying for a conditional order.

Under the old law, there were 19,758 decree absolutes in April to June, a 35 per cent fall on the same period last year.

Average wait from petition date to decree absolute was 56 weeks, up seven.

The MoJ blamed “resourcing issues”.