Over the years there has been a generational shift in the approach we have to marriage and divorce. This can be evidenced by the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), which show that the current divorce rate is the lowest it has been for nearly 40 years.

Couples in the UK are now choosing to marry later in life and consequentially, the added maturity that comes with age is resulting in fewer separations.

In 1960 there were just 23,868 cases of divorce. At this time there was still much stigma attached to divorce. During the 1970s divorce became increasingly common with the introduction of so called ‘quickie divorces’ and ‘no-fault divorces’, which led to an increasing divorce rate of 58,239 by 1970.

The peak in the divorce rate came in 1993, when more than 165,000 people were divorced in one year alone. Currently the annual divorce rate is hovering around the 115,000 mark, but what can explain this recent decrease? More...

Helen Perkins, Associate Solicitor in our Family Department based in our Swansea solicitor Office provides her thoughts and advice about how people should manage their social media accounts during a separation or divorce.

Social media is now a part of most people’s everyday lives, be it on a personal or professional basis.

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram to name just a few of the more popular social media websites are used by millions of people around the world. For the vast majority of their users, these platforms provide a great way to share their news, promotions, post photos and keep in touch with family and friends.

Whilst it provides a lot of joy for some, it can have a negative impact if you are in the process of separating or going through a divorce. In some instances, it can even play a part in the divorce itself!! More...

The removal of legal aid for divorce cases which came into effect on April 1 2013 is predicted to have a disproportionate impact on the poorest members of society, as they are hit almost three times harder than those in the wealthiest parts of the UK.

In figures released by the Legal Ombudsman, the current average cost of a divorce in the UK is £1,300, which represents 9 per cent of the average annual salary in the poorest areas of the UK. This is in stark contrast to figures from the UK’s most affluent areas, where a typical divorce represents just 3.3 per cent of the average household income.

Currently nine of the UK’s parliamentary constituencies with the lowest average salary are situated in the North of England or Wales, which is why, here at Howells Solicitors we are intent on providing every individual with an affordable alternative to the conventional divorce. We appreciate that with the recent demise of legal aid our clients may find it difficult to afford to pay their solicitors fees for a divorce and may need a degree of flexibility in order to spread any legal costs they might incur over a period of time. More...

Richard Scott, partner and senior solicitor in the Family Law team at Howells Solicitors explains..

As the summer wedding season begins, the team here at Howells Solicitors conducted a straw poll of our clients who are currently using our family law services, asking their thoughts about prenuptial agreements.

Almost 70% of those asked said that they hadn’t considered entering into a prenuptial agreement in the past as they perceived it to be a preserve of the rich.

Richard Scott, partner and senior solicitor in our Family Law team wasn’t that surprised by the high percentage of respondents who hadn’t considered a prenuptial agreement. More...

In part 2 of our complete guide to divorce we look at the various stages involved in the divorce procedure (View part 1 here).

So, first things first...

Where Should You File Your Divorce Application?

Divorce applications can be filed in any divorce county court or in the Principal Registry in London. The nearest court to you can be easily located using the following website: http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/hmcts/

Payment can be made by debit or credit card, cash, postal order or cheque, which should be made payable to ‘HM Courts & Tribunals Service’. Depending on circumstances, certain individuals are eligible for a fee remission in full or in part. To see if this applies to you, visit the court service website and refer to booklet EX160A, entitled: Court Fees – Do I have to pay them? More...