No fault divorce hailed by new Resolution Chair

By Amanda Erskine

The new chair of Resolution, the main body representing professionals who strive to assist separating couples and families in a co-operative and cost effective manner, has been appointed. Nigel Shepherd addressed 400 family lawyers at Resolution’s annual conference in Gateshead and used his first speech to rally the push for no fault divorce. Mr Shepherd said “it’s wrong – and actually bordering on cruel – to say to couples: if you want to move on with your lives … one of you has to blame the other.”

We have previously reported that a Private Members’ Bill providing for no fault divorce, sponsored by Richard Bacon MP, has previously been brought to the House of Commons. This bill is expected to be re-introduced in the next session of Parliament which commences with the Queen’s Speech on the 18th May 2016. In his speech Mr Shepherd also pointed to recent polling by Resolution that found a quarter of all divorcing couples admitted to giving false statements of blame on their petition in order to complete the separation more quickly, and said Resolution and its members would continue to press government ministers on the case for change. He said “the blame game needs to end, and it needs to end now. We will continue to make the case to government, supported by charities, the judiciary and the many others who support no fault divorce.”

For every professional working with separating couples and families, we wait with anticipation to see whether no fault divorce and the private members’ bill will actually become law.

Amanda Erskine is a solicitor in the Family department at Barker Gotelee Solicitors.

Ipswich Family Solicitors – for more information on our range of legal services, please call the team on 01473 611211 or email [email protected]