Study will reopen debate about no-fault divorce

Resolution, an association of family lawyers and members, has welcomed the announcement that the Nuffield Trust will be looking at whether or not existing legislation needs to be brought up to date.

At the core of the research will be an investigation into whether the UK’s statute books should move towards the concept of no-fault divorce.

In decades gone by, many legislators expected that divorce on the grounds of adultery and unreasonable behaviour would be done away with and a new system introduced.

In fact, the long anticipated reforms never came, despite claims from many in the legal profession that apportioning blame only served to provoke hostility.

Now Resolution, who support a wide-reaching set of changes, holds out hope that a comprehensive study may be enough to get the issue back on the agenda of policymakers.

The Nuffield Trust’s study will cover three main areas: public attitudes to divorce, how courts investigate petitions alleging adultery or unreasonable behaviour, and what effect the current system has on parties.

Both family law professionals and their clients will be participating in the survey and the first set of data is expected to be made available next year.

At Royds, our experienced family law department are able to advise on all aspects of the divorce process. We will work closely with clients to achieve the best possible outcome. For more information, please visit or contact Patrick Hart.