This book delves into the history of how divorces were dealt with in only rare circumstances during the 1800s to how laws developed and expanded to reach further couples across the population.
 
Church (ecclesiastical) courts initially had power to make separations or decree divorces centuries ago, however when the power was transferred to a new established civil court. All divorces were heard in London, which demonstrated how few people were able to seek a divorce. Legal aid appeared to be the key that opened the legal door for people to be able to divorce, and legal aid still plays a crucial part in modern divorce proceedings.
 
Today, there are approximately 10,000 divorces registered online each month compared with 314 divorces sought between the years 1700 and 1857. The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 introduced 'no-fault divorce' as a legimitate reason for couples to end their marriage in England and Wales, where blame was no longer necessary nor was a separation of at least 2 years to be proven.
 
However, law being law is always open to challenge. Factors such as whether a couple have children or whether there are shared assets can impact the route a divorce takes. But are we still a long way off from couples being able to know that at a click of a button their online divorce request is not going to be overturned even after being finalised?