With many couples preparing to say “I do” this summer it might seem wrong to be asking what might happen if things fall apart and they decide their marriage is over.

Sadly, though, divorce does become a part of people’s lives, with over 100,000 petitions being issued every year in England and Wales. In an effort to streamline the process and speed up the handling of divorce suit paperwork, of which the vast majority are uncontested by the parties, a number of Divorce Centres across England and Wales have been opened.

For Suffolk the Divorce Centre is based at Bury St Edmunds and will deal with over 40,000 divorces a year. The Centre aims to process work within 48 hours of receipt but will strive to deal with petitions on the day they are received. Still in the process of being staffed, the Centre aims to have this level of service in place by October 2015.

Such changes will always divide option, with those who strongly promote marriage seeing this as a further erosion to their beliefs and ideals. However, there are others who will see this change as a positive move, designed to help people through what can be a very distressing and emotional time.

Time will tell if the Centre is able to deliver the service it has promised.

If you need advice, our friendly and experienced solicitors are on hand to help. Call the team on 01473 611211 or email [email protected]

Family solicitors Suffolk – click here for more information on our services.