Married couples will be able to file for divorce without having to take responsibility for the breakdown of their marriage, as divorce-free divorce laws come into force in England and Wales. The change was welcomed by experts who said it would help couples move forward and ensure better results, eliminating unnecessary conflicts and tensions. In the past, unless it was proven adultery, irrational behavior or abandonment, the only way to divorce without the consent of the spouse was to live separately for five years. Sarah Gregory and her ex-husband, who she said was her “best friend and soul mate”, went through the divorce system after 13 years of marriage. Ms Gregory told Sky News that what should have been a simple divorce ended up being complicated by the old law. Image: Mrs. Gregory said her divorce was delayed due to the process He said: “You were given five options and only one was really suitable for us, which was the irrational behavior and again it did not really fit our needs, because we just fell out of love. “It made matters worse, knowing that one of us was going to behave irrationally in our divorce certificate. It delayed the process because it caused mixed feelings between us. “We did not have many bad things in our marriage, so you almost try to exaggerate some of the not so bad things that happened between us. “I guess it just created some kind of animosity between the two of us.” She believes that legalizing a divorce without fault is “wonderful” and would make her divorce process much faster. Kate Daly, co-founder of law firm Amicable, told Sky News: “We are delighted that the law has finally changed and that the game of responsibility is over. “It has been a long time”. Image: Sir Robert Buckland said more reforms were needed Ms Daly said she founded Amicable after her divorce, which she described as a “wreck” and left her financially and emotionally exhausted. He added: “You hear so many stories of people coming out of divorce who lack huge mental health problems, which can lead to debts and can lead to further breakdown of relationships within the family – whether it is a wider family or the relationship between parent and child. “If you have a friendlier way of approaching divorce, avoid all these problems.” The Law on Divorce, Divorce and Separation (2020) also allows couples to file for divorce together. Under the new law, one spouse challenging a divorce does not prevent the other from filing for divorce. However, there are calls from the government to implement further reforms. Former Secretary of Justice Sir Robert Buckland told Sky News: “I very much hope that today’s changes will pave the way for the elimination of the conflicting aspect of divorce. There is still a great deal of uncertainty about the financial arrangements that couples should make when separate. and in part, and I think more reform is needed there and in the family courts in general. “
