Divorce rates in England and Wales hit 50-year low in 2022

The significant decrease in divorces is attributed to the cost of living crisis, despite the introduction of 'no-fault' divorce laws.

Divorces in England and Wales have dropped to their lowest level since 1971, with 80,057 divorces granted in 2022.
The introduction of 'no-fault' divorce laws in April 2022, which allows couples to divorce without assigning blame, did not lead to the expected increase in divorce applications.
Legal experts suggest the cost of living crisis as a key factor deterring couples from pursuing legal separation due to financial challenges.
The number of civil partnership dissolutions also fell to the lowest recorded since 2010, with a 22.8% decrease compared to 2021.
Joint applications for divorce under the new law accounted for over a quarter of divorces and well over half of dissolutions since its enactment.