National Family Mediation, a charity, said it is preparing for what it expects to be its busiest month ever, with its mediators ready for a “flood of enquiries”.
No-fault divorce legislation has been delayed twice over the past year as the Government sought to develop and test the digital arm of the service.
Stephanie Boyce, president of The Law Society, said: “We are delighted that the divorce system, unchanged for more than 50 years, will finally be modernised to reflect the society we live in. From today, separating couples won’t have to prove a fault-based fact against their ex-partner or spend years still married to obtain a divorce, exacerbating tensions.
“No-fault divorce will cut unnecessary conflict from the separation process – allowing couples to move on amicably. This divorce reform will bring our marriage laws into the 21st century and ensure that, in the future, separating couples and their children do not suffer unnecessary conflict.”
According to the Office for National Statistics, 102,438 opposite sex and 1,154 same-sex couples divorced in England and Wales in 2020.
