Woman's Hour Phone-In: No-Fault Divorce

Woman's Hour

BBC

Society & Culture, Health & Fitness, Personal Journals

4.2 • 2.9K Ratings

🗓️ 6 April 2022

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The biggest reform of divorce law for 50 years comes into force today. As ‘no-fault divorce' comes into practice Woman's Hour are opening our phone lines to listen to what YOU have to say on the changes. We want to hear your experiences of ending your marriage and what difference you think these new measures will make? Would this change have made your divorce more amicable? Have you postponed getting divorced waiting for this reform to come into force and have already booked an appointment at the solicitors? Or are you considering divorce and this conversation has made it feel a bit less daunting? Join our phone-in today. You can call us on 03700 100 444. The lines will open at 8am. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Kirsty Starkey Interviewed Guest: Helen Marriott

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.
0:05.4	Hello, I'm Emma Barnett and welcome to Woman's Hour from BBC Radio 4.
0:10.4	Good morning, welcome to the programme.
0:12.3	And a historic day in England and Wales in terms of divorce and how people end their marriages.
0:18.3	The biggest reform of divorce law for 50 years comes into force today, changing a law that
0:22.8	actually dates back to Henry VIII.
0:24.8	Let's not dwell on that.
0:25.8	No fault divorce will change how couples split from today no longer will they have to separate
0:31.3	for at least two years, increasing to five if one party doesn't consent or blame one
0:36.4	another to legally end their marriage, alleging adultery, unreasonable behaviour or that
0:41.8	desertion has taken place.
0:43.9	Often people refer to this as a kind of blame game and even the most amicable splits can
0:48.8	end in an acrimonious divorce.
0:51.5	Now from today couples, both marriages, civil partnerships will be able to apply jointly
0:56.2	if they like and they only now have to state that their marriage has broken down irretrievably.
1:01.9	The updated legislation aims to make separation less hostile for all parties involved, especially
1:07.8	children, but will it work?
1:09.7	And does it go far enough?
1:11.8	Would this change, if you cast your mind back to your divorce perhaps it wasn't that long
1:15.0	ago, maybe it was many years ago?
1:17.2	Would it have helped you?
1:18.7	Would it have helped your family?
	...

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