THE CHANGING FACE OF RELATIONSHIPS IN BRITAIN TODAY

Nearly twenty years ago in a London restaurant, two people made a commitment which formed the basis of a successful relationship which has flourished and has seen them both benefit from their new joint endeavours.

Today, however, the media is saturated with news of their acrimonious split as Messrs Blair and Brown prepare to go their separate ways.

Coincidentally, as this story was breaking, the government’s national statistics on divorce in the UK in 2005 were published. They announced that the number of couples divorcing in England and Wales had fallen by 8% to 141,750, the lowest total for five years. Divorce rates amongst men and women under forty registered the biggest fall, down by 13% and 12% respectively.

More people are now waiting longer to get married and the average age for first marriages in England and Wales in 2004 was 31 for men and 29 for women, compared with 25 and 23 in 1964.

20% of men and women divorcing in 2005 had a previous marriage ending in divorce. This proportion has been increasing each year and has nearly doubled since 1981, when around 10% of men and women divorcing had a previous marriage ending in divorce.

Interestingly, whilst the age of first marriage was rising, the highest divorce rate occurred with couples aged between 25 and 29, at 27.1 per 1,000 married men and 28 per 1,000 married women.

Whatever the figures show, they fail to take into account the stress and heartache that the ending of a marriage can cause. When a relationship breaks down, couples need the right advice from skilled professionals who are best placed to give objective, reliable, straightforward and sympathetic advice.

In our area, the Beverley office of Sandersons, Solicitors, has two solicitors who are members of Resolution, formerly the Solicitors Family Law Association: Sally-Anne Neal and Simon Griffiths. Their aim is to encourage couples to find a solution together which will enable everyone to re-build their lives.

In most cases handled by Resolution lawyers, agreements are reached without the need for costly and stressful court battles. Furthermore, Sandersons, a locally based practice, is the only firm in Beverley to offer Legal Aid assistance, where appropriate, in family law matters.

If you need help and advice on any aspect of family law, contact Sandersons and you will find a Resolution lawyer ready to provide you with a friendly and practical approach to your situation.

Contact Simon Griffiths or Sally-Anne Neal

Sandersons, Solicitors,

The Hall, Lairgate,

Beverley HU17 8HL.

Tel: 01482 324662

Fax: 01482 860118

e-mail enquiries@sandersonssolicitors.co.uk 

 Source:  Beverley Guardian, September 2006