Marriage Foundation: Marriages Strongest in 50 Years Despite Law Change

As the UK embraces a new era in its divorce laws, recent statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal a surprising trend: marriages are reportedly at their strongest in half a century. The Marriage Foundation has highlighted these findings, emphasizing the impact of the recent implementation of “no-fault divorce.”

The 2023 ONS data marks the first complete year since the introduction of the no-fault divorce system, a change supported by the Marriage Foundation. This legal shift aimed to eliminate the attribution of blame in divorce proceedings, promoting a more compassionate process.

Although there was an observed increase in divorces following this legislative change, the Marriage Foundation characterized the rise as minor. They attributed the uptick to factors such as faster processing times and the resolution of a backlog caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The no-fault divorce law now allows more expedient divorce proceedings, removing the previous requirement for a two-year waiting period for mutual consent or the need to assign fault for a quicker resolution.

The organization’s stance in favor of no-fault divorce may seem unconventional, but their research suggests that legal deterrents do not significantly influence the decision of couples to end their marriages.

Analysis by the foundation indicates that current divorce rates have reached their lowest since 1970, countering earlier concerns of a potential surge post-legislation change.

Harry Benson, Research Director at the Marriage Foundation, stated, “The change in the [divorce] rate is less than many of the fluctuations we have seen in recent years.”

He continued, “In short, there are no signs whatsoever of a rise in divorce rates. In fact these figures as our analysis shows confirm divorces are still at levels we last saw back in the 1970s.”

Benson also pointed out, “These figures are also a repudiation of those who prophesied a massive increase in the divorce rate, by removing blame from the divorce system – those fears were unfounded as many campaigners, like Marriage Foundation and family lawyers Resolution said at the time.”