A bill to introduce no-fault divorces in England and Wales has been debated in Parliament this week and has now received backing from MPs. The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill has now reached the finishing line of its parliamentary journey and time will now be taken to ensure its careful implementation.

The key aspect of the bill is that it dispenses with the need to place blame or live separately from a spouse for at least 2 years in order to be able to start divorce proceedings and prove that a marriage has broken down.

Family lawyers have campaigned for a significant number of years for the introduction of no-fault divorce in order to limit unnecessary animosity between separating couples who are left with no option but to place blame on the other for the breakdown of the marriage or have to wait for between 2 to 5 years.

The bill also seeks to introduce 6 month timeframes to the divorce process in order to reduce unnecessary delays and will allow for couples to be able to jointly petition for divorce.

It is anticipated that the bill will be fully implemented by autumn 2021.

If you would like any further information or advice in relation to divorce proceedings, our specialist family lawyers are happy to help. Our lawyers have offices based in Wolverhampton and Cradley Heath and provide assistance to clients across the West Midlands including: Stourbridge, Kidderminster, Birmingham, Dudley and Walsall.  For all new enquiries, please call 01902 328 365, alternatively you can complete our online enquiry form and a member of our team will be in contact.