The long promised reform of divorce law is now back on track with the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill entering Parliament.
There has been a growing campaign for our divorce laws to be changed to stop blame having to be attributed between couples when they split up.
Under the current law which dates back to 1973 couples have to either spend at least two years living apart or blame the other for the breakdown of their marriage, using allegations of adultery or unreasonable behaviour.
There has been increasing concern that having to allege blame has led to more conflict between couples which has impacted on their children.
Divorce law reform was on the cards last year but came to a standstill twice with the Prorogation of Parliament and the general election.
The Justice Secretary has said that 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.”
Under the new law planned the blame game will be replaced with a statement of irretrievable breakdown and the ability to defend a divorce will also be removed.
There’s still some way to go but let’s see if 2020 will see the last of the blame game divorces.
You can find more information about the current divorce process on our fact sheet