The worldwide pandemic of 2020 threw off a lot of things for many people, and one of the most significant impacts it had legally was related to laws being changed or delayed. In this case, a law that was supposed to be passed in April 2021 was delayed until April 2022, and this law is known as the no-fault or no-blame divorce, which came into effect in England and Wales.
This has been long overdue, and many people have seen it as a reform in divorce law in the UK. So if you are eager to learn what a no-blame divorce is, read on.
Our team at Prentice Family Law is always happy to meet with people who are looking to undertake a no-blame divorce, and our divorce solicitors in Weybridge will gladly guide you through the process and explain each stage to you in detail.
So, without further ado, here is a short guide to no-blame divorce in the UK from our divorce solicitors in Weybridge.
What is a no-blame divorce?
If you wanted a divorce in the past, you had to prove that your partner had either been unfaithful or that they had been behaving in an unreasonable manner. These issues never accounted for the fact that couples can simply grow apart. A no-blame divorce allows couples to separate calmly, without arguments and the need for blame, and our divorce solicitors in Weybridge predict that this will help to speed up divorce proceedings and lead to less heartache all around for everyone involved.
Why this law is important
This law matters because it is one of the most significant changes in the UK’s divorce law in the last 50 years. The thing that you need to take away from this law is that it eliminates blame for the cause of a marriage breaking down, and now, you can separate legally or divorce solely based on a marriage breaking down irretrievably.
How it works
Under the old law, a spouse would have had to start the process with the intent of separating from their former spouse. The individual who started the process was previously known as the petitioner, while the person who was being divorced was known as the respondent. However, due to the new law, either one of the partners can apply for the process at the same time and be legally separated based on the marriage breaking down without citing blame.
The process duration
A no-blame divorce will take around 20 weeks, and this time frame exists to
give couples the opportunity to potentially resolve issues that they have or reach a conclusion about the separation. After this, there is a six-week period wherein the final divorce order is submitted.
Contesting a no-blame divorce
Unlike the previous divorce law, you cannot contest a no-blame divorce, as the blame has been removed. The process can be disputed, but as it is a no-blame divorce, these disputes tend to be based on matters of technicality rather than emotive issues.