Not all people who wish to end their marriage want to do it unpleasantly. On the contrary, many people want to get it over and done with as quickly, with the least amount of upset and avoid the blame game.
Until now, such couples have had no choice. Unless they had lived separately for a minimum of two years, or their spouse had vanished off the face of the earth, they had to blame their spouse for the breakdown of their marriage by demonstrating to the court that their spouse had behaved unreasonably or committed adultery.
This ‘blame game’ was frustrating for couples, especially when the split was amicable. In addition, divorce petitions could be an upsetting read if a person chooses to air their dirty laundry or say unkind things about their soon-to-be former spouse. It could, therefore, be a very unhappy process.
For many years, family lawyers campaigned to end the ‘blame game’ as we saw first-hand how damaging it could be, particularly when couples then had to co-parent their children and reach a financial settlement.
The courts have finally heard our calls for an end to this process, and from April 2022, ‘no fault’ divorce came into effect. This means that people do not have to blame their spouse for the breakup of their marriage. Instead, they can cite the “irretrievable breakdown of the marriage” without going into any further detail.
No-blame divorce makes the divorce process much more straightforward and allows couples to separate cleanly, reducing conflict and harm to children. It also means that people no longer have to stay trapped in unhappy marriages for longer than necessary.
Contact Pippa Marshall today to find out how she can help you.
Note: This article is not legal advice; it provides information of general interest about current legal issues.