Divorce enquiries have increased by more than 40 per cent during the lockdown, according to one legal advice firm. Financial woes and being stuck in close confinement are concerns being cited by couples seeking divorce advice, the firm says.
Between March 23, the day lockdown was announced, and mid-May, Co-op Legal Services reported a 42 per cent increase in divorce enquiries, compared with the same period in 2019.
It said being in lockdown together has moved some couples to consider legally separating. Friday is the most common day for inquiries about divorce, followed by Tuesday.
Divorce proceedings have been going ahead over video conferencing calls while the Courts have been closed. Urgent cases involving domestic abuse or child protection are being prioritised and couples have been warned to expect delays. However, the Ministry of Justice said most divorce cases do not require a hearing and that it is not currently noticing a slowdown in the time taken to process paperwork for online divorce applications.
Miranda Fisher, a family lawyer at the firm Charles Russell Speechlys said it could be harder for judges to assess a person’s character via a video call and warned that some people may feel they have been treated unfairly.
If key information about a potential divorcees assets is witheld or not fully explained and needs to be reviewed later this would add to the process. Other areas that may hinder settlement could include failing to provide any new situation the couple may find themselves in, including cohabitation with a new partner if another party is involved.
It may take further investigation by an external source to say find a spouces assets eg property abroad, shareholdings, or business interests. Another option may include ground based surveillance. Even though movement has tried to be restricted in these uncertain times there are still those who flout the guidelines.
Commenting, Terry O’Connell, Operations Director at SIRS Europe said:-
“The nature of our business is we normally become involved in cases where one party is aggrieved, although it’s never nice where this involves a partner in a marriage. However, we do take heart that our role is there to help make sure that the end is fairer, be it through surveillance of a wrong doing party or making sure all assets are being disclosed.”
SIRS Europe is a long established investigation and discovery company. One of the few in its sector to be ISO27001 certified, with connections throughout the UK and the world to assist its clients who include solicitors, insolvency practitioners, finance companies and the public sector. Members of the Credit Services Association.
Source: Daily Telegraph