Research reveals UK divorce trends

Of the top ten places where marriages are most likely to fail, all of them are on the coast.

Blackpool is the local authority area where couples are most likely to divorce – there is a 13.3 per cent chance that couples will choose to part ways.

Hastings, in East Sussex, comes a close second, while popular holiday destinations including Weymouth, Eastbourne and the Isle of Wight also feature on the list.

The league table was compiled using data from the 2011 Census and offers an insight into the factors which can push couples into seeking a divorce.

Many believe that the residents’ demographic, levels of deprivation and even how happy people are can account for the geographic differences in terms of divorce rates.

One popular theory for why marriage are less likely to last in seaside towns, is that money worries are a key factor in many divorces and those living by the seaside are at greater risk of falling into financial difficulties (a separate study this summer also placed Blackpool as the town with the highest insolvency rate in the UK.)

It may also be of note that the population living on the coast is generally older than the national average and there is growing evidence that a greater number of 50 to 64-year-olds are splitting up.

At the opposite end of the scale, Harrow, in North-West London, had the lowest divorce rate in the whole of the UK (5.41 per cent).

To find out more about the family services we provide, please contact Patrick Hart from our Family Law team today.