No-fault divorce

The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 reforms the divorce process to remove the concept of fault (also known as 'no-fault divorce').

Advising Clients with Mental Health Conditions

Children Law Handbook

Special Guardianship and Adoption Handbook

Many legal professionals felt that divorce law was out of date, particularly following Owens v Owens [2018] UKSC 41.

The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was passed in June 2020 and came into force on 6 April 2022.

From 6 April, the new legislation:

• replaces the ‘five grounds’ and allows couples to divorce without assigning fault
• removes the possibility of contesting the divorce
• introduces an option for a joint application
• makes sure language is in plain English, for example, changing ‘decree nisi’ to conditional order and ‘decree absolute’ to final order

These changes also apply to the dissolution of civil partnerships.

Our view

We supported legislation to introduce no-fault divorce.

No-fault divorce will reduce conflict, allowing couples to focus on important issues like children, property and finances.

We also supported:

• joint petitions
• the principle of a divorce based on the statement of irretrievable breakdown of marriage

We believe the legislation could be clearer, fairer and more accessible by reviewing:

• the notice period – it should start when a partner receives their spouse’s divorce application (date of service) rather than from the start of proceedings (when one spouse applies for divorce)
• financial proceedings – if financial proceedings (Form A) have started, no final order should be granted until a financial order has been made if either party might suffer financial prejudice by a final decree before the final financial settlement
• court fee costs – the new online divorce system will cut administration costs for the courts, so this should be reflected in application fees
• the period of reflection – there should be a three-month reflection period at the beginning of the divorce proceedings to allow separating couples time to consider their situation and get the legal advice they need. Domestic violence applications or applications that relate to children in a divorce should be available during this reflection period

The government should also reintroduce legal aid for early advice to support divorcing couples and help them understand their financial responsibilities and the needs of their children.

We believe the current court fee of £593 for divorce applications is too high and discriminates against those less able to afford it.

Court fees should be reduced to reflect the fact that the new process will require less administration.

What this means for solicitors

The changes should simplify current practices and reduce conflict between couples.

Although the act received royal assent in June 2020, the reforms came into force on 6 April 2022.

What we're doing

• April 2022 – the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 came into force, implementing no-fault divorce
• March 2022 – we held a seminar discussing the new rules and procedures that will be brought in by the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020
• June 2020 – we welcomed the passing of the act, and reiterated our views on the notice period and legal aid for early advice
• June 2020 – the bill had its committee stage in the House of Commons on 17 June
• March 2020 – the bill had its committee stage in the House of Lords on 3 March and its report stage in the House of Lords on 16 March
• February 2020 - the bill had its second reading in the House of Lords, the Law Society was mentioned 10 times and there were expressions of support from the Lords for some of our suggested improvements to the bill
• January 2020 – the bill has its first reading in the House of Lords
• December 2019 – in the Queen’s Speech the government indicated its commitment to bringing back the bill
• July 2019 – we submitted evidence to the bill committee and gave oral evidence at the Public Bill Committee hearing
• July 2019 – we welcomed the bill and urged the government to review details of the divorce process
• June 2019 – the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill was introduced to the House of Commons
• April 2019 – we welcomed the government’s plans to introduce the reforms through new legislation
• December 2018 – we responded to the MoJ consultation to give our views on the government’s reform plans.
• July 2018 – Supreme Court ruling on Owens v Owens. Ministry of Justice says it will look at reforms.
• March 2018 – we commissioned research, Priced Out of Justice?, which found that the legal aid means test is preventing families in poverty from accessing justice.
• March 2017 – we advised members on the implications of Owens v Owens and lobbied government about the need for change.
• 2012 – most free or subsidised early legal advice was stopped by the government. We are campaigning for legal aid to be reintroduced for early advice, particularly in family law.
• 1996 to 2019 – we continued to support solicitors and work for improvements to family law and through our Family Law Committee.
• 1996 – we supported proposals for divorce reform that became part of the Family Law Act 1996, although these were later repealed.

Get involved

The MoJ’s consultation is now closed. If you would like to get involved in our work on this topic you can find out more about our Family Law Committee.