![Unhappy spouses celebrate as England adopts 'no-fault divorce'](https://www.berlinertageblatt.de/media/shared/articles/3d/b5/b0/Unhappy-spouses-celebrate-as-Englan-024342.jpg)
-
Coughlin clings to lead at LPGA Canadian Women's Open
-
Trump offers tech sector policy flips ahead of election
-
Spacecraft to swing by Earth, Moon on path to Jupiter
-
What's the fallout of Mexican drug lords' capture?
-
Video game makers see actors as AI 'data,' says union on strike
-
Chinese qualifier Shang to face Thompson in ATP Atlanta semis
-
Concern grows as Venezuela blocks election observers
-
'Massive attack' on French rail threatens more chaos
-
'We did it!': France breathes sigh of relief after Olympics ceremony
-
Blinken, in Laos, set for talks with Chinese foreign minister
-
Regional concern grows as Venezuela blocks vote observers
-
Historic river parade, Dion show-stopper ignite Paris Olympics
-
Rainy Paris Olympic parade dampens many spectators' spirits
-
G20 pledges to work together to tax ultra-rich
-
The one of a kind Paris opening ceremony: five memorable moments
-
Justin Timberlake seeks to dismiss DUI case
-
Warner Brothers Discovery sues NBA over Amazon rights deal
-
Kobe Bryant locker, Maradona jersey up for auction in New York
-
Historic river parade launches Paris Olympics
-
Stocks rise as US inflation data boosts rate cut hopes
-
New York family of Holocaust victim reclaims Nazi-looted art
-
NASA Mars rover captures rock that could hold fossilized microbes
-
Thousands evacuate season's biggest wildfire in northern California
-
Sinaloa Cartel co-founder pleads not guilty after stunning US capture
-
Ethiopia mourns victims of landslide tragedy
-
Lady Gaga adds sparkle to star-studded Olympic show
-
Airbus and Boeing supremacy secure despite turbulence
-
Teams sail down Seine in rain-soaked Olympics opening ceremony
-
Norris hoping for more after topping Belgian practice times
-
West Indies' treble strike rocks England in third Test
-
Trump slams rivals as he meets Netanyahu in Florida
-
Olympic opening ceremony under way on River Seine
-
Mott's England future uncertain as ECB chief fails to offer support
-
Trump meets Israeli PM Netanyahu in Florida
-
S.African police say 95 Libyans detained at suspected military camp
-
Blinken set for talks with Chinese counterpart in Laos
-
Norris heads Piastri in McLaren one-two at Belgian GP practice
-
G20 seeks common ground on taxing super-rich
-
European medicines watchdog rejects new Alzheimer's drug
-
Harris gets vital Obama backing in battle against Trump
-
Habib, Ebden eye Alcaraz and Djokovic shocks at Olympics tennis
-
Stocks rise as inflation data boosts rate cut hopes
-
Long queues, ticketing problems ahead of Paris opening ceremony
-
Two Sinaloa Cartel leaders face US charges after stunning capture
-
Spain train driver jailed for 2.5 years over deadly 2013 crash
-
Paris poised for Olympic opening ceremony spectacular
-
Judoka fails doping test in first case at Paris Olympics
-
Holder and Da Silva keep England at bay after West Indies collapse
-
Alpine F1 boss Bruno Famin to leave in August
-
Ethiopia declares three days of mourning after landslide tragedy
![Unhappy spouses celebrate as England adopts 'no-fault divorce'](https://www.berlinertageblatt.de/media/shared/articles/3d/b5/b0/Unhappy-spouses-celebrate-as-Englan-024342.jpg)
Unhappy spouses celebrate as England adopts 'no-fault divorce'
No more faked evidence or years-long waits -- from Wednesday, unhappy spouses in England and Wales can end their marriages without blaming each other, in the biggest reform of divorce law for half a century.
The onset of "no-fault" divorces means one spouse no longer needs to prove the other guilty of adultery, "unreasonable behaviour" or desertion.
If such grounds did not exist, the couple had to live apart for two years before a divorce could be granted -- or five years if one partner objected to the proceedings.
The change brings England and Wales into line with Scotland, which has its own legal system, and with other countries including the United States, Australia and Germany.
While experts expect a rush of divorces by couples who were waiting for the legal reform, they predict it could also ironically increase rates of marriage, by promising an easier way out if the relationship sours.
The case of Tini Owens galvanised a campaign for the change after she lost a Supreme Court fight in 2018, having failed to persuade the judges that her 40-year marriage should end.
Her husband had contested her claims of unreasonable behaviour, and the judges ruled that being trapped in an unhappy marriage was not in itself grounds for divorce.
"No-one should have to remain in a loveless marriage or endure a long, drawn-out and expensive court battle to end it," Owens said.
"This change in the law guards against that happening and I welcome it," she added.
The reform does not herald US-style "quickie divorces" -- there is a minimum wait of 20 weeks between a spouse first initiating proceedings and then applying for a legal order.
They must then wait another six weeks before the divorce can be granted.
But it does overhaul the current system, in place for decades, under which some spouses would resort to private detectives to find evidence of fault, or the couple would agree simply to concoct the evidence.
Vicky admitted that she and her first husband "had to make up scenarios and situations that we felt were going to be accepted" by the court after they had agreed to an amicable divorce.
Her second marriage was to a "very manipulative" and "violent" man who refused to engage with divorce proceedings, forcing her to wait for five years of separation.
"And I could have been out of that relationship a lot quicker and a lot sooner than I was," Vicky, giving only her first name, told BBC radio.
Some lawyers welcomed the end of an adversarial divorce culture, while stressing that legal advice remained essential for resolving financial and child custody issues.
A survey commissioned by the law firm Slater and Gordon pointed to an unintended consequence -- 32 percent of cohabiting respondents said they were more likely to get married now that the divorce process was simpler.
O.Krause--BTB