Confirmed: The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act will come into force in April.
Ministers announced on 6 June that the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020, which will allow married couples to divorce without assigning blame, will come into force on 6 April 2022. The announcement came in the form of a response to a Parliamentary question.
This date is later than originally indicated, and it is understood that this is to allow time for the necessary IT changes to be made to HMCTS’s online divorce systems. However, the 6 April is now fixed as a matter of Parliamentary record, rather than the indicative timetable previously being worked toward.
Elisabeth Sneade, head of family at Rudlings Solicitor LLP says “it is disappointing that the changes are going to take longer to come into force but at least we now know when the reform is taking place. This will allow family practitioners to become familiar with the changes and advise our clients accordingly. The move to divorce being dealt with online has been, on the whole, a positive step and hopefully, this additional change will enable us to help all of our clients manage their relationships ending in the most amicable way possible.”
If you would like advice on handling your family law matters then you can contact our head of department Elisabeth Sneade to discuss your circumstances.