Family
No-fault divorce since 2022 and civil partnerships for all
The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 introduced no-fault divorce in England and Wales in 2022. Same-sex marriage has been available since 2014, and civil partnerships are open to all couples.
Key rules
- Divorce no longer requires fault or long separation; a statement of irretrievable breakdown suffices.
- The court has wide discretion to redistribute assets for fairness, not fixed shares.
- Prenuptial agreements are influential but not automatically binding.
Governing law
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973
- Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020
In practice
There is no community of property; financial outcomes turn on judicial discretion, which makes early legal advice valuable.