When it is was announced in April 2019 that the UK divorce laws would be reformed to allow no fault divorces, it was welcomed by many who had long campaigned for them.
However, the suspension of Parliament in September and the general election just before Christmas stalled the legislation, meaning that it would be delayed or at worst, be lost all together.
No fault divorce laws reintroduced
The Government has now reintroduced the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill back into Parliament and it has passed two readings in the Commons. Then last week, it was introduced in the House of Lords.
Following the return of the legislation, Robert Buckland, Justice Secretary, commented:
“The institution of marriage will always be vitally important, but we must never allow a situation where our laws exacerbate conflict and harm a child’s upbringing. By sparing individuals the need to play the blame game, we are stripping out the needless antagonism this creates so families can better move on with their lives.”
What does the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill propose?
Should the Bill receive royal assent and come into law, it would mean that a couple going through a divorce or dissolution would simply have to put forward to the Courts that their marriage or civil partnership has broken down and they wouldn’t have to apportion blame on to either person in the relationship.
The Bill would also put an end to a married person’s ability to contest a divorce and a couple would be able to make a joint divorce application. In addition, in some cases the Courts would be able to make a conditional order after 20 weeks has passed from the beginning of the divorce proceedings.
The aim of the Bill is to reduce the acrimony that can often be associated with separation proceedings, such as one person apportioning blame onto the other and the tension that can develop as a result of this.
How Nelsons can help
If you are considering separating, it is important to seek legal advice, as many people will listen to friends and family, who have either separated or know someone who has and they will often recite what happened.
However, each separation is different, as it depends on so many different factors. This is why it is important to obtain legal advice from an experienced solicitor, who will try and make the process as easy and painless as possible.
For more information or if you need help with a divorce, please contact a member of our Family Law team in Derby, Leicester or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.