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No fault divorce: where next?
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On 13 October a 10-minute motion was debated in the House of Commons at the instigation of Conservative MP Richard Bacon. The motion was 'That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make provision for the dissolution of a marriage or civil partnership when each party has separately made a declaration that the marriage or civil partnership has irretrievably broken down without a requirement by either party to satisfy the court of any other facts; and for connected purposes'. The motion passed and there will be a second reading of the No Fault Divorce Bill on 4 December 2015.
The No Fault Divorce Bill has not yet been published but Richard Bacon explained in his speech that it would operate by adding a sixth 'fact' by which irretrievable breakdown could be proved being both parties declaring irretrievable breakdown and a 1-year cooling off period before decree absolute is made. Under these proposals no fault divorce would only be available where divorce was agreed on but should immediate no-fault divorce also be available on...
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