Make divorce simple, but not simpler

Albert Einstein said that we should “Make things as simple as possible, but not simpler”.

In other words not simpler than possible because then they tend to be missing something.

The complexities that surround the subject of divorce are well known.

So it was interesting to read today that Sir James Munby, a family judge, wants to see most of the 120,000 divorces each year made simpler and removed from the court.

The proposal is that people would then obtain a divorce at a number of regional centres around the country.

Many will dispute this change; after all a lot of divorces are complex and contentious.

But the proposal is only respect of only those cases which are uncontested.

And this will be separate from any financial arrangements and the welfare of children to the marriage. So perhaps it is a workable change to the current system

It will be interesting to hear the views of family lawyers who will be better placed than we are to identify and understand any negative consequences of such a change.

What we do know for certain is that when it comes down to pensions on divorce our clients may not be seeking the simplest outcome, but they are looking for an understandable outcome.

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