Divorce laws in England and Wales are set to be overhauled under government plans to allow couples to split up more quickly and with less acrimony.

Justice Secretary David Gauke wants to abolish the current system of fault-based divorce, and will announce a consultation on the matter as the first stage in the process of passing legislation.

Under a simplified system, spouses would lose the ability to block a divorce as there would be no need for their husband or wife to prove adultery, unreasonable behaviour or desertion in a contested divorce.

Partner Henry Hood commented:

“Three cheers for David Gauke for starting a process that must surely deliver us from a divorce process that is not fit for our times. We have been here before of course, and there will be resistance just as there was in 1996 which was able then to prevent any change even after reforming legislation had been passed. That cannot happen again…can it?”

Read the full article in The Times (behind a paywall), The Law Society Gazette and Family Law.