The theme of Resolution’s Good Divorce Week 2022 (28 November to 02 December) is ending the family court crisis.
With the number of divorces rising, courts are facing an unprecedented backlog, and couples have to wait on average 52 weeks to conclude proceedings. This leaves important matters unresolved for too long, increasing uncertainty and anxiety for the couple and their family.
Resolution, the association of 6,500 family justice professionals of which we are members, is highlighting the crisis through Good Divorce Week. They recently surveyed members, and the results show:
- 90% said court backlogs were causing additional and unnecessary stress and pressure for clients
- 34% said they’d referred a client to a counsellor or therapist to help them cope with the stress of ongoing court delays
- 20% said court delays caused clients to rely on benefits
The latest statistics
Statistics show:
- There were 113,000 divorces in 2021, that’s a rise of nearly 10% on the previous year
- Private children cases were down by 7%, but they are taking on average nearly a year to reach a conclusion. That’s six weeks longer than the previous year
- Estimates suggest it takes nearly two years to resolve financial matters
What does that mean for divorcing couples?
The delay leaves couples in limbo, putting the family’s life on hold and meaning they cannot move on for too long.
This has a knock-on effect on every aspect of day-to-day life. Children may suffer the consequences of the delay more as they may not know which parent they will be living with, how much they will see the other parent and even which school they will be going to until the divorce is finalised.
#ABetterWay – resolving disputes away from court
We work with families through separation, so we recognise that divorcing can be stressful and traumatic for everyone involved.
As Resolution members, we adopt a constructive and non-confrontational approach to resolving family issues. We encourage separating couples to agree divorce terms, such as finances, division of assets and living and children arrangements, through mediation. This method is more amicable, prevents lengthy and costly court battles, and ensures you have more control of your future.
You can find out more about the benefits of mediation HERE
What can you do?
As part of Good Divorce Week, Resolution is raising the issue of the court crisis in Parliament with MPs and peers. They are also highlighting options that are available to families to resolve disputes outside of the court. If fewer cases went to court, those that need to be dealt with by a judge (such as divorce cases involving domestic abuse) could be dealt with quicker.
Resolution is asking as many people as possible to contact their MP to encourage them to get involved in the campaign. They have produced a template that can be personalised, and they ask for any responses to be forwarded to them.
Find out more HERE
If you’d like advice on any aspect of divorce, contact us on hello@agrlaw.co.uk or call 0116 340 0094