Divorce figures up, marriages down as no-fault impact takes hold

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Divorces in 2023 rose to 102,678, a big jump from the 80,057 granted in 2022, new statistics from the Office for National Statistics revealed this month. Coming just a year after unilateral ‘no‑fault’ divorce came into effect in April 2022, it suggests – as C4M warned at the time – that making divorce easier means couples resort to it more readily, rather than trying to save their marriage.

The fact that this surge occurred despite the number of marriages continuing their long-term downward trend only makes the picture even more stark.

Tragically, each of these 100,000-plus divorces represents another family torn in two, with children in many cases now facing a future of absent parents and broken homes.

In part, the surge is a rebound from the artificially low year of 2022, when the implementation of the new rules appears to have resulted in a temporary slump.

However, with the number of divorces back to their pre-pandemic level, despite a drop in the number of people getting married, it cannot all be blamed on this.

While court statistics show divorce applications fell modestly in 2023 compared with the 2022 rush, final orders still jumped in 2023 – evidence that cases are moving through more quickly, giving less opportunity to save marriages.

In spite of the increase in the number of divorces, supporters of the no-fault reforms have claimed the new figures show the feared surge in divorces did not materialise.

But that’s a hasty conclusion, given the marked rise in 2023 against a backdrop of falling marriage rates. As the new fast-track, unilateral, no-fault route becomes normalised, we would expect to see divorces settling at a higher rate in the coming years.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that the divorce rate (per 1,000 marriages) may be being reduced by recent high immigration levels, as newcomers from conservative cultures, many of whom are married, are less likely to get divorced.

Those who campaigned for the change claim the divorce process is now more civilised and kinder. In fact, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Family solicitors report that accusations of “bad behaviour”, rather than being given due regard as a cause of the separation, are being scattered through every stage of the process, inflaming rows over money and children.

The latest reforms have shifted the culture from mending marriages to dissolving them. The surge in divorces in 2023 is anything but encouraging. At C4M, we believe the state should be doing what it can to help families stay together, not rushing to break them apart.

That’s why we’re doing our bit by travelling the country running evidence-based marriage refresher courses and hosting family conferences. Get in touch if you’d like more information about arranging something in your area.