September separations are becoming most common for divorce - Solicitors Surrey | Business Law Surrey

Sep 2020

According to a recent report, the last Monday in September is the most common day for British couples seeking divorce, with more than double the amount of enquiries of a normal Monday.

The report looked at figures from the Ministry of Justice’s online divorce service, which launched in 2018. At the time, the pilot scheme launched to allow couples to apply for a divorce online, eliminating the need to fill in paper forms that are then sent manually to court. In an attempt to streamline the system, it was also hoped it would be a more cost effective and environmentally friendly solution – although at the time, it was insisted the scheme was not any form of “quickie divorce”. Instead, it was a move towards a £1bn plan to reform the justice system, saving court staff more than 13,000 hours dealing with complex paper divorce forms. Since the launch of the online divorce service, there has already been a 95% drop in the number of returned applications, and due to its success, the scheme was extended in 2019.

Traditionally, the season for divorce is the first Monday in January after the Christmas period has died down. However, as a large number of people now turn to the online divorce service, it looks as though this date is shifting - with the last Monday in September is when the service is used the most.

According to a report from the Evening Standard that quoted figures from the Ministry of Justice’s records, the online divorce service logged 225 requests on Monday September 30 last year. This number is almost double the normal daily average, substantially higher than an average Monday figure of 138.4, and it was also the highest daily number since the service was launched.

Whilst the online divorce service may lead couples into believing they can divorce more quickly, the law is very complex and therefore, it is highly recommended that you seek the right legal advice for your situation.

If you think divorce is right for you and would like some more information, contact the Family Law team at Downs Solicitors to see how we can help.

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