On April 6th, 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act came into force.  This introduced the concept of a divorce where no blame was attached.  The parties are now able to petition for a divorce on the fact that the marriage has irretrievably broken down due to irreconcilable differences.  In effect, this is a no-fault divorce.

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Since 1929, the legal age for marriage within heterosexual relationships in England and Wales has been as young as 16 years old, as long as both parties receive parental or judicial permission. As of April 2022, this has legally been raised to 18. The minimum age is also currently 16 in Scotland, although there is no need for parental consent.

The bill aims to protect against arranged marriages and coercion into abusive relationships, which is a prevalent issue. In fact, over 25% of forced marriage unit cases in 2020 in the UK involved parties under the age of 18 (not including any religious or cultural marriages). UK law classes 18 as the legal age of adulthood physically, emotionally and mentally, meaning that marriage any younger than this legally involves a child.

The effects of early marriage have been in discussion for a long time and include the likes of lack of education, emotional adversity, and a lack of social and medical support for women. In raising the minimum UK age of marriage, there is hope of also directly combating some of these factors in young people. More...

It’s the hit show that everyone is binging while being locked down for so long. MAFS Australia has certainly done its bit to reduce the Covid boredom and keep people inside, but while the show itself exerts all the glamour and drama of show business, there is plenty of legal work that goes on behind the scenes unnoticed. While everyone loves a good wedding, we all know that sadly divorces are just as regular.

Each participant will be wary of the legalities before going on the show, or at least they should be if they soon find themselves looking for a way out.

Here we take a look at those aspects of marrying at first sight, and what options are available to couples after the cameras switch off and reality hits hard. More...

It’s safe to say that for the most of us, 2020 was a year we want to forget as quickly as possible. But, if the pandemic wasn’t enough to deal with, many of those in the public eye we know – or think we know – so well have had even more on their plate.

As we learnt previously, lockdown and relationships have not mixed very well, with some of the most well know relationships feeling the strain, emotionally and financially.

Here, we look at the biggest celebrity divorces and breakups that shook the A-list world last year. We also analyse what supposedly went wrong and the ramifications these breakups have on what were once such idyllic lifestyles of the rich and famous. More...

Since the coronavirus pandemic’s first lockdown in March 2020, there has been disappointment for many betrothed couples who have had to postpone and rearrange their weddings on multiple occasions. Some have gone ahead, where possible, but restrictions have forced them to dramatically change their original plans.

With both the marriage act and the Government’s decisions forcing big changes to weddings in 2020 – with some only allowed 15 guests – many people are now pondering whether the marriage act is still fit for purpose.

For example, to be legal, wedding ceremonies must be held in a registered venue and strict restrictions mean you cannot get married outdoors – limiting numbers for a covid wedding. Adding a further complication, you must give notice of intent to marry in person. You cannot contact a registrar via phone, post or email – something which has not been possible for many throughout lockdown.

Marriage reform is now being proposed, as a result. More...