How Many Marriages End in Divorce in the UK?

Statistically around half of marriages end in divorce in the UK. The information from the Office for National Statistics doesn’t tell the whole story though.

Our North West family law solicitors answer your questions on marriages ending in divorce in the UK.

For family law advice call our team of specialist divorce lawyers or complete our online enquiry form.

The ONS marriage and divorce statistics in the UK

The Office for National Statistics is the place for reliable marriage and divorce data. The website reveals that:

In 2021, there were 113,505 divorces granted in England and Wales
The divorce rate increased by 9.6% increase compared to the figures for 2020
Divorce rates in 2021 were 9.3 for men and 9.4 for women per 1,000 of the married population. These figures include same-sex marriages
In opposite-sex couples in 2021, females were more likely to start divorce proceedings than men. Just over 63% of divorce applications were started by women
For opposite-sex divorces in 2021, the average duration of marriage at divorce was 12.3 years
For couples married in 2011, less than 1 in 5 marriages end in divorce by the 10th wedding anniversary

Should we rely on the 2021 ONS divorce data?

The problem with relying on the ONS data is:

The latest figures are for 2021 and not 2024
The ONS statistics are for marriages but a large percentage of the population are in cohabiting relationships. Statistics for cohabitation relationship breakdown are not recorded
The headline data figures do not show regional variances but in the North West of England the place with the highest divorce rate in 2021 was Blackpool
The headline statistics of 113,505 divorces in 2021 do not indicate if the divorces were first, second or third marriages

Family court statistics

Family court statistics give us some statistical information for 2024. The family court figures for the period January to March 2024 reveal there were:

27,908 divorce applications made, equating to an 11% deduction from the same period in 2023
21,662 final orders of divorce granted, equating to an increase of 19% from the same period in the previous year

Starting divorce proceedings in 2025

Although the historical 2021 statistics show a rise in divorce proceedings the reality is that if you are in the difficult position of applying for a divorce in 2025 then the statistics will mean very little to you. Your focus will be on navigating your divorce.

With the introduction of no-fault divorce, the court proceedings are streamlined and less adversarial. You no longer have to say that your ex-spouse behaved unreasonably or committed adultery. However, a divorce still takes around six months to obtain. That’s because court rules require gaps at two stages in the divorce process to give time for reflection. Those gaps can’t be avoided.

Two of the main divorce stressors are not the decision to start divorce proceedings but:

Reaching an agreement on the parenting arrangements for your children
Dividing your assets, reaching a financial settlement and obtaining a financial court order

Our divorce solicitors can guide you through the no-fault divorce process. We can also help you reach a parenting agreement and financial settlement. It’s important that the childcare arrangement is recorded in a parenting plan and your financial settlement gets converted into a binding financial court order.

Reaching an agreement on parenting or your finances does not necessarily mean that you must apply to the court for a child arrangement order or ask the court to make a financial court order. Our North West family lawyers can help you through:

Legal advice in between family mediation sessions
Converting a memorandum of agreement negotiated during family mediation into a binding court order
Helping you reach an agreement through our one-lawyer divorce service
Assisting you resolve parenting or financial issues through family arbitration

Divorce consultations

You may be worried about the legal aspects of your divorce. Many people have questions about:

Should they start the divorce proceedings or allow their spouse to do so?
Can they stay in the family home after they start the divorce proceedings?
Will the children have to be co-parented on a 50/50 basis and how will that work practically with jobs and other commitments?
Will a 50/50 parenting arrangement affect child support?
Will spousal maintenance be payable and for how long?
Who will keep the family home?
Will they be able to get a mortgage on their own so they can buy another house?
Can they keep their inheritance, pension or business?
Will the prenuptial agreement stop their ex-spouse from making any claims?
If the children don’t want to see a parent, will the children be forced by the court into a 50/50 split of their time between both parents’ homes?
Will the children be able to continue in private education after the separation? Who will have to pay the school fees?

Our specialist family lawyers can answer all your questions. We may not be able to answer them all at the first meeting as we may need more information about things, such as the transfer value of the pension or your potential earnings capacity if a situation where you are worried about whether you will be able to get a mortgage or rehouse yourself without spousal maintenance payments.

Relationship breakdown initial review

At Evolve Family Law, our experts understand that you want and need answers to your questions, including pressing questions about whether your ex will have to pay the mortgage if they leave the family home.

We provide a relationship breakdown consultation for a fixed fee. This involves one meeting with a qualified lawyer regarding all legal and practical aspects of your separation and advice. If you decide that you would like us to start divorce proceedings on your behalf there is a separate divorce fixed fee. We also try to offer fixed-fee services for other legal services, such as converting your financial settlement into a binding financial court order or making a new Will after your separation.

All our experienced family law solicitors are committed to helping you through your divorce proceedings and assisting you in reaching a parenting agreement and financial settlement as quickly as possible.

For family law advice call our team of specialist divorce lawyers or complete our online enquiry form.