?Contested Divorces where both partners might agree to divorce but demand some form of compensation. This could take the form of financial settlements, contentious child custody issues and alimony.

?Uncontested divorces where both partners agree to divorce mutually. There are no demands and the marriage termination is quick and painless.

Divorce Methods

The social and cultural landscape of British society is changing. And this can be seen in the modern ways employed to file for a divorce. Couples contemplating divorce are reluctant to petition for a divorce through a traditional solicitor. They prefer to do it the modern convenient way..

?DIY & Shopping for Divorces: In 2003, the rate of DIY divorces rose by 3.7%. Couples opt to shop for DIY divorce kits in supermarkets, paying less and saving on time and energy. Research indicates that this method is usually preferred by first-time couples contemplating divorce. However, this method finds a growing audience among the student population.

?Online Divorces: This method of petitioning and obtaining a divorce has become the common divorce method in the UK. People prefer to fill divorce information forms and obtain divorces in a simple manner. However, these methods ply only for uncontested divorces where there are minimal legal hassles and contentious issues. In contested divorces, it is recommended to go through the traditional solicitor method.

?Solicitor: The major method for enquiry and filing for divorces still remains through the divorce lawyer. According to research, more than 43% of couples filed for divorce through a lawyer. The primary advantage lies in the fact that the legal officer staff has the responsibility of sorting out your marital issues and recommending whether both of you need a divorce or not. In addition, one is not left to one's own resources to wade through legal jargon and settle contentious matters.

Divorce Reasons

The UK is commonly referred to as the divorce capital of Europe. The question often arises as to why the divorce rate reached such uncontrollable dimensions in the UK?

?Relentless Legislation: Since 1857 when the first Matrimonial Act was introduced, the institution of marriage has been taking a beating constantly. The Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857 and 1932 expanded the scope of grounds of divorce to include bigamy, physical incapacity, desertion and incompatibility. These acts gave people the choice and freedom to decide whether to stick around in a marriage or not. In short, 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 which fuelled an increase in the divorce rate by 25%. In addition, the Herbert Act of 1937 gave the wife the freedom to petition for divorce alone. It also broadened the divorce grounds to include habitual drunkenness, prolonged incurable insanity and imprisonment. Then came the Reform Act of 1938, the Matrimonial and Family proceedings Act in 1984 which made divorce very easy and simple.

?Changing Attitudes: Perceptions and attitudes regarding marriage have changed drastically. The focus and priorities have shifted from that of ?family? to that of ?self?. Hence, one feels that if personal marital expectations and satisfaction are not being met, one should merely walk out of the marriage. The changing liberalisation and women empowerment issues have also contributed to the increase in divorce rates across the UK.

Today, divorces are easy to file and obtain only when there is a valid reason. In 1984, the government introduced the ?middle road? concept of Mediation to try to stop the divorce deluge. This method is basically a way of marital counselling and communication where couples are urged to sit and talk through the various disturbing issues. The valid reasons for divorce are:

?Adultery

?Unreasonable behaviour

?Desertion

?Consented divorce after a two-year separation

?Divorce without consent after a separation of five years

Legal Aid

The introduction of the Legal Help Scheme as part of Legal Aid to provide financial help to ill-equipped couples has propelled the divorce rates to grow and soar by leaps and bounds. The Legal Help scheme was mainly designed to provide legal financial help to divorcing couples below the poverty line. However, the guidelines of the scheme have become flexible since 2004 and have proven to be a booster to divorce rates across the country. Earlier, i.e., before 2006, poor couples including student couples used to think hard before filing for divorce. Due to the rigidity of the Legal Aid provisions, these couples used to see divorce as a last resort. In other words, legal aid became a deterrent for divorce. But not anymore! The flexibility of the guidelines has enabled manipulation and a rising rate of divorces. Couples are no longer scared and worried about rising divorce costs.

Prenuptial Agreement

Prenuptial agreements are slowly gathering weight on the divorce scene in the British society. Though not legally binding, they do influence divorce and custody decisions, especially in English courts. A prenuptial agreement outlines the division of property and responsibilities of both parties in a marriage prior to the marriage. Its primary goal is to ensure that marital assets are split in accordance with the clause of the agreement. In addition, the agreement points out the rights, responsibilities and duties of each party in a marriage prior to the wedding. Thus, the prenuptial agreement helps courts to decide about contentious divorce issues of financial settlements and child custody.

Divorce Rates

In 2005 divorce rates ranged from 41- 44% in British society. It means that that 3.1 percent of the marriages in the UK for every 1000 people ended in divorce. The rate of divorces has been steadily rising during the last 150 years. There were 160,000 divorces in England and Wales with more than 10,826 divorces in Scotland. Yearly figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that divorce rates in the UK have been on an upward swing from 1996. In 1996, there were 171,700 divorces in the UK. In 2003, this number increased to 166,737 while, in 2004 it was 167,116. The average divorce age for males was 42.7 while, for the females, it was 40.2. It is estimated that more than 20 percent of children would witness a divorce in the family before the age of 16 by the end of year 2006.