According to the data from the family courts, compiled by law firm Wilsons, couples are now having to wait up to 56 weeks before their decree absolute comes through. The time it takes to get divorced has been gradually rising, from around 48 weeks from 2013 to 49 weeks in 2017.

Have MoJ reform plans backfired?

Family lawyers believe that reforms to the divorce system made by the government a few years ago are the reason it’s now taking so long to get divorced. In 2015, the MoJ merged 47 regional courts into just 11 new facilities – called Regional Divorce Centres. The aim was to streamline the system, free up valuable court time and cut costs generally.

Unfortunately, it appears that the reforms have not been fully successful. According to family lawyer Kate Ryan, speaking to the Telegraph:

“The specialist divorce centres set up in 2015 are not functioning effectively and undoubtedly this was not what was envisaged by the MoJ when they were established.

“Unfortunately, many of these centres are now experience high volumes of divorce work resulting in a large backlog of work. This means the court process for dealing with documents is taking longer than ever.”

What this means for divorcing couples is that they are ‘left in limbo’ for much longer, unable to see an end to what can be a difficult and painful process. Other divorce reforms, such as online divorce applications and proposals to introduce no-fault divorces, are here or on the way.These should improve the situation, but if the standard waiting time to legally separate is up to a year, couples are unable to move on with their lives.

The MoJ has responded to the publication of the latest figures on divorce waiting times, suggesting that improvements are on the way – although the Treasury is planning to slash the department’s budget by an eye-watering £300 million in 2019-20. A spokesperson insisted that:

“Cases are being dealt with quicker since we increased the no of judicial sitting days and recruited extra judges and staff to meet increased demand in the family court.

“We also recently announced online divorce applications to simplify the process and help reduce the delay.”

Worried about divorce delays? It’s crucial to have the right divorce lawyer on your side, to streamline the process and avoid paperwork-related delays.

Liverpool divorce specialist Tracey Miller Family Law is highly experienced in all aspects of separation and family law, so please give us a call on 0151 515 3036 or 07795 060 211, or get in touch if you need our help or just some professional advice.