More than a quarter of couples citing unreasonable behaviour as grounds for divorce admit they are lying to speed up the process, according to new research by Resolution.
It amounts to thousands of couples not telling the truth to the courts each year.
Existing divorce laws in England and Wales – which are based on apportioning blame – require accusations of unreasonable behaviour to secure a divorce within two years of the union breaking down.
More than half – 57 per cent – of all divorces involve people accusing each other of activities including domestic abuse, drug addiction and alcohol abuse. Of this number, 27 per cent say their claims are untrue.
Jo Edwards, chair of Resolution, the group of lawyers committed to a constructive resolution of family disputes, told The Independent newspaper: “As our research findings show, the current system is causing couples to make false allegations in court in order to have their divorce finalised within a reasonable time. This charade needs to be ended.
“The alternative, living for two years as a separated couple before divorce proceedings can be started, is financially and emotionally untenable for many people.”
She said the result was that couples agreed to make untrue allegations ‘in order to move on with their lives’.
October 2015 marked the beginning of new research into divorce law and how it could be reformed.
Nuffield Foundation’s project, supported by Resolution, focuses on the fact the majority of divorce petitions still rely on allegations of fault. Resolution says the existing process is confusing, discriminatory and causes conflict between parties.
Surjit Verdi, a solicitor in Palmers’ Family Law team, said: “At Palmers we uphold Resolution’s standards and the push to make divorce less stressful. We understand that people may make agreements between themselves for sheer efficiency, but, broadly speaking, no party should ever enter proceedings without seeking professional advice – especially from experts, like ourselves, who appreciate the emotional and financial difficulties involved. We are here to help. For more information on the support we offer, please contact us.”