Only a few years back when posed with the question ‘how long does it take to get divorced?’ by a new client I’d have advised with some confidence “about 6 to 9 months”.
Not any longer.
Figures released for the first quarter of this year showed that the average time for getting from the start of the case (the issue of a divorce petition) to the end (receipt of the Decree Absolute) it is now taking an average of 59 weeks or over 14 months!
This is an increase of 6 weeks from the same period last year.
So why might this be?
More cases for the courts to deal with?
Fewer court staff to process the paperwork and Judges to make decisions?
Withdrawal of legal aid for early advice?
To a degree, all these factors appear to be contributing.
In the first three months of this year just over 29,000 new divorce cases were started, up 6% from the same period in 2018.
The number of courts dealing with Divorce cases drastically reduced upon the creation of 11 “Regional Divorce Centres”.
The most senior Family Judge, Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division said earlier in the year that these centres “have not worked well” and “indeed some, including {the Regional Centre for the North West} Liverpool have provided a wholly unacceptable service”.
Not a ringing endorsement for a process you must pay a court fee of £550 for!
In April 2013 legal aid for many Private law cases and early advice was removed which inevitably led to litigants representing themselves. Having two warring parties in court without the filter of legal representation inevitably causes cases to take longer.
If you need help with separation issues, please consider allowing us to help you. For an consultation, contact us on 0161 624 6811.
