Divorce Rates in the UK: Pattern, Reasons and Future

Divorce has become one of the common and worrying factors existent in the British society today. According to UK National statistics, the divorce rates range from 41 to 44 percent. In short, this means that that 3.1 percent of the marriages in the UK for every 1000 people end in divorce. Divorce has been described as the legal termination of marriage by a decree of the High Court. In such cases, a divorce can take the form of either dissolution of the marriage or, declaring it null and void.



Official UK statistics reveal that the incidence of divorce is highest this year as compared to previous years. A prime reason for the peaking divorce rate can be the legislative acts and practices existing in British society. The last 150 years have seen a steady rise in the number of divorces in the UK. There were 160,000 divorces in England and Wales with more than 10,826 divorces in Scotland. According to the yearly figures released by the Office for National Statistics, divorce rates have been steadily increasing from 1996.



In 1996, there were 171,700 divorces in the UK. In 2003, this number increased to 166,737. In 2004, the divorce rates hovered at 167,116. Figures show that that the average divorce age for males is 42.7 while, for the females it is 40.2. According to the British Welfare Department, the average span of a marriage before divorce ranged from 11.3 to 11.5 years. It was estimated that more than 20 percent of children would witness a divorce in the family before the age of 16.



The 19th century saw a relaxation of the Victorian marital traditions and norms. The flexibility in marriage from the middle of the 19th century led to an increase in the rate of divorces in the British society. The Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857 and 1932 expanded the scope of grounds from divorce. This included bigamy, physical incapacity, desertion and incompatibility. The acts allowed manipulation by husbands and wives to apply to the courts for a legal separation. The 1920s saw more than 484 divorce cases being formally registered. The incidence of divorce rose by 25 percent.



The First World War along with the Herbert Act of 1937 also propelled the rise of divorce rate in the UK. The act gave the wife the freedom to petition for divorce alone. In addition, the reasons for divorce also became broader including habitual drunkenness, prolonged incurable insanity and imprisonment. In 1938 the eligibility for divorce aid changed leading to a slight increase in the divorce rate. The Divorce Reform Act of 1969 provided for a two year separation period before a divorce. The act legalized separation after five years, dissolving the marriage. The grounds for divorce further expanded to include adultery, an irretrievable breakdown in marriage and unreasonable behaviour.



The Matrimonial and Family proceedings Act in 1984 made divorce easier. It stated that couples could petition and divorce only after a period of 12 months. Thus, the UK legislation made divorce a relaxed and everyday affair. Though legislation may have contributed to the steady rise in divorce rates but it certainly was not the only factor.



Divorce Lawyers in the UK hold the opinion that the individualistic and egoistical way of living can be another key cause. Couples, especially young couples, in the age group 25 to 32 are very rigid and too opinionated to adjust and make needed compromises in a marriage. According to Reality Social Causes, the main reason behind couples divorcing is the changing global lifestyle. The manner of living, social responsibilities and commitments have changed and will continue to change in the modern global world.



The incidence of divorce rates rising is due to the pressure being put on family life due to an 'individual way of living.' In addition, the prospect of divorce is slowly being viewed as more attractive. Divorce rates are seen as being complementary to the steadily rising standard of living in the UK. As demands and pressures increase, couples tend to become more self-centred and individualistic. This causes a break-up of the familial social way of living. Joint finances and expenditures soon become a burden.



Coupled to these factors, is the birth and rise of materialism. Couples are becoming more materialistic and refusing to sacrifice and compromise at the altar of responsibility and family life anymore.



In 1985, a big argument ensued in the House of Commons. This argument had its roots in the family and Matrimonial Act of 1984. The debate resulted in a closer look at the prevalent divorce laws and, consequently a legal course of action. This course of action is called Mediation involving a third impartial person or party to aid couples contemplating divorce to thrash out their differences through better communication techniques. However, mediation does not allow for volatile and cruel marriages to continue. It calls for immediate marriage dissolution if proven that the two concerned people cannot stay together anymore for viable reasons.



Even older couples belonging to the age group 44 to 65 are steadily inching towards divorce as a viable and feasible option of regaining individual freedom. According to National Statistics, the average age among older men seeking divorce is 55 while for women it 42. Figures show that 73 percent of older couples who had petitioned for divorce gave non-cohabitation as the reason. In other cases, more than six percent stated adultery to be the primary cause. In addition, 17 percent claimed that unreasonable behaviour including drunkenness and incompatibility to be key causes. In the last five years, the rate of divorces among older couples has gone up from two percent to 22 percent. In most of the filed divorce petitions, the primary reason stated is of unreasonable behaviour. Unreasonable behaviour, accounts for sexual incapacity and mental fatigue.



It doesn't seem likely that the divorce rate in the UK is going to decline soon. The British legislature along with the education system has been making tremendous efforts to bring down the rate of divorces. But, the years of relentless legislation coupled with the changing modern lifestyle are having their affect on the divorce rates in the UK.



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