Top 10 Facts about Divorce in the UK
During the COVID 19 pandemic enquiries to legal firms in relation to divorce, rose by 95%. Below we have put together 10 facts about divorce in the UK that you may not have known.
- The Office of National Statistics (ONS) data sets show that 42% of marriages end in divorce
- The most common age for people to get divorced is at the ages of 45-49
- £51billion is the estimated taxpayer cost from family breakdown, through effects on health, extra housing support, legal aid, lost work hours and other factors.
- In 2019, there were 822 divorces amongst same sex couples, this is nearly twice the number in 2018.
- In 2019, the average duration of marriage at the time of divorce was 12.3 years for opposite sex couples, a small decrease from 12.5 years in the previous year
- Unreasonable behaviour was the most common reason for opposite sex couples divorcing in 2019
- 49% of wives petitioned on the grounds for unreasonable behaviour
- Unreasonable behaviour was also the most common reason for same sex couples divorcing
- Almost half of divorces involve children under 16 years of age
- 16% of marriages reach the 60th wedding anniversary without separation or death
When is a divorce most likely?
For opposite sex couples, the rate of divorce is highest for men aged 45-49 and women aged 40-44. It is likely that this is a reflection of the fact that men tend on average to marry younger women.
What is the cost of a divorce?
When getting a divorce there are four main areas to think about:
- Legal fees
- Court fees
- Financial settlements
- Child maintenance
Contact us
Thinking about getting a divorce or want to explore the options that you may have? At CP Law Associates, we have dedicated lawyers who can guide you through the process and let you know the options that you have, if you wish to proceed.
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