UK Judge Upholds Accidental Divorce Due to Clerical Error

A London couple was inadvertently divorced after a law firm's clerical mistake, with the court ruling the decision final despite attempts to reverse it.

• A clerical error at Vardags law firm led to the accidental divorce of Mr and Mrs Williams, who were married for 21 years.
• The divorce, finalized in just 21 minutes due to an online system misclick, was upheld by Judge Sir Andrew McFarlane, emphasizing the finality of divorce orders.
• Ayesha Vardag, head of the law firm, criticized the decision, arguing that divorces should not be finalized based on clerical errors and lack of intent.
• Efforts to reverse the divorce were rejected, with the court maintaining the importance of procedural regularity and public trust in final orders.
• The incident has sparked debate over the reliability and implications of online legal systems in handling sensitive matters like divorce.

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