It\u2019s something a lot of people still assume.<\/p>\n
That if a marriage ends, someone has to be \u201cat fault\u201d.
That you need to point to something specific \u2014 behaviour, actions, blame.<\/p>\n
But that hasn\u2019t been the case for a while now.<\/p>\n
Since April 2022, the way divorce works in England and Wales has changed quite significantly. And for many people, that change has made the process feel a bit more straightforward \u2014 and a lot less confrontational.<\/p>\n
Under the current law, you no longer need to prove fault to get divorced.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no requirement to set out what\u2019s gone wrong or to assign blame to your partner. Instead, the process is based on a simple statement that the marriage has broken down and can\u2019t be repaired.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s enough for the court to accept the application.<\/p>\n
For a lot of people, this removes one of the most difficult parts of starting a divorce. There\u2019s no need to revisit personal details or set things out in a way that could make an already difficult situation more tense.<\/p>\n
Another change is how the application itself can be made.<\/p>\n
Some couples choose to apply together. Others still prefer one person to take the lead and apply on their own. Both options are available, and which route works best often comes down to the relationship between you and your partner.<\/p>\n
For some, a joint application helps keep things more balanced. For others, a sole application simply feels more practical.<\/p>\n
There isn\u2019t a right or wrong approach \u2014 just what works for your situation.<\/p>\n
In many cases, it does.<\/p>\n
Removing fault has taken away one of the main triggers for conflict. It means the focus can shift away from what\u2019s happened in the past, and more towards what needs to be sorted moving forward \u2014 finances, property, and arrangements for children.<\/p>\n
It also means one person can\u2019t stop the divorce from going ahead. Once the application is made properly, the process will continue.<\/p>\n
That alone has made a difference for many people who previously felt stuck.<\/p>\n
Although the process is more straightforward, it isn\u2019t instant.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a built-in pause after the application is submitted. This lasts for 20 weeks and gives both sides time to reflect and consider the next steps before moving things forward.<\/p>\n
Some people find that time useful. Others are ready to move ahead sooner. Either way, it\u2019s a standard part of the process now.<\/p>\n
For most people, the biggest change is the tone of the process.<\/p>\n
Divorce is still a significant life event, and it can still be difficult. But without the need to assign blame, it\u2019s often easier to approach things in a calmer, more constructive way.<\/p>\n
That can make a real difference when it comes to sorting out the practical side of things \u2014 and especially where children are involved.<\/p>\n
At Lund Bennett Family Law, we speak to people at all stages of this process.<\/p>\n
Some are just finding out about these changes and want to understand what they mean. Others are ready to start moving things forward but aren\u2019t sure where to begin.<\/p>\n
Wherever you are with it, we\u2019ll talk things through in a straightforward way and help you understand what to expect \u2014 without overcomplicating it.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re thinking about divorce or simply want to understand your options, you\u2019re always welcome to get in touch.<\/p>\n
Sometimes a short conversation can make things feel a lot clearer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s something a lot of people still assume. That if a marriage ends, someone has to be \u201cat fault\u201d.That you need to point to something specific \u2014 behaviour, actions, blame. But that hasn\u2019t been the case for a while now. Since April 2022, the way divorce works in England and Wales has changed quite significantly.… Read More »Do You Still Have to Blame Someone to Get Divorced?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1585,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":70,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-divorce"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lundbennett.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lundbennett.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lundbennett.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lundbennett.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lundbennett.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1584"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lundbennett.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1584\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1586,"href":"https:\/\/lundbennett.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1584\/revisions\/1586"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lundbennett.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lundbennett.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lundbennett.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lundbennett.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}