The coronavirus pandemic is creating an “enormous strain” on relationships according to reports by charities and lawyers who are predicting a “post-lockdown divorce boom”.
Citizens Advice said divorce guidance searches had risen since April after a drop in visits when lockdown started.
It said views on its divorce webpage on the first September weekend were up 25% compared with the same date in 2019.
The law firm Slater and Gordon said that recent circumstances had “exacerbated” marriage problems with September being “ordinarily a busy month for family lawyers” as couples would often “attempt a last-ditch summer holiday” before ending their relationship.
Family lawyer Georgina Chase said about 30% of matrimonial enquires she had received had been from couples separating because of issues in relationships being “exacerbated” during the lockdown.
Ms Chase said:
“It’s an extreme change of circumstances for spouses and any issues in the marriage have been compounded by lockdown, that’s where we are seeing the increase.
It’s the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
Meanwhile Citizens Advice data showed searches for advice about getting a divorce peaked on Sundays, with the designated web page being in the top two most-viewed on its website for the past four weekends.
On the first weekend of September, its advice webpage amassed more than 2200 views, a 25% rise on the same weekend in 2019.
Tom MacInnes, chief analyst for Citizens Advice, said: “We know that this pandemic has put an enormous strain on people financially but our data shows that strain is also being felt in people’s relationships.”
Lead Correspondent | David Clews is the Lead Correspondent for UNN, with over 20 years of political/campaigning experience and a wealth of social media and communication skills David gets to the heart of what is really important to the real people of the UK.
Keep up to date with all of David & UN’s work by linking up with us on our Social Media Channels by Clicking Here Now: https://unitynewsnetwork.co.uk/our-social-media-links/
