No-Fault Divorce Is Now the Norm: What ONS Data Shows
No-fault divorce has become the way almost everyone in England and Wales now ends a marriage. New figures from the Office for National Statistics, published this week, show that 94.2% of divorces and civil partnership dissolutions granted in 2025 went through the no-fault system introduced in April 2022. In total, 105,961 couples ended their marriage or civil partnership last year, almost unchanged from 2024, and the median length of a marriage ending in divorce reached 13 years, the longest since records began in 1963.
The data also shows that 74.1% of applications were made by one spouse alone rather than jointly, and that women brought 61% of sole applications in opposite-sex marriages. Behind those numbers is a process that is simpler than ever, but still easy to misunderstand. Here's what the figures tell us and where people most often go wrong.
How No-Fault Divorce Works in Practice
Under the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020, you no longer need to blame your spouse for adultery or unreasonable behaviour, or wait years for a separation-based divorce. The only ground is that the marriage has broken down irretrievably, and a statement confirming that is enough.
The process follows a fixed timetable:
- Application. One spouse (a sole application) or both together (a joint application) apply to the court, usually online.
- Reflection period. There's a minimum 20-week wait before you can apply for a conditional order. This period is for reflection, and for sorting out practical arrangements.
- Conditional order. The court confirms it sees no reason why you can't divorce.
- Final order. At least six weeks and one day later, you can apply for the final order, which legally ends the marriage.
In practice, the whole process takes a minimum of around 26 weeks, and often longer.
Sole or Joint Application: Does It Matter?
The high proportion of sole applications is striking, given that joint applications were one of the headline features of the reforms. A sole application isn't a sign of hostility. Often one spouse is simply more ready to begin, or the couple can't coordinate the online steps.
What matters is that the other spouse, the respondent, can no longer contest the divorce simply because they disagree. They can only dispute it on narrow legal grounds, such as the court lacking jurisdiction or the marriage not being legally valid. That has removed much of the conflict that fault-based petitions used to create.
The Mistake Many Couples Make: Confusing Divorce With Settlement
This is where the easier process can create a false sense of security. A final order ends your marriage, but it doesn't end your financial ties. Unless the court makes a financial order, both spouses can still bring claims against each other in the future, potentially many years later, even after one of you has built up new wealth.
To achieve a legally binding financial settlement, you need a court order. If you've agreed terms, a solicitor can draft a consent order for a judge to approve. That can include a "clean break", ending ongoing claims between you. If you can't agree, either of you can apply to the court for a financial remedy order.
Timing matters too. Solicitors often advise waiting until a financial order is in place, or at least agreed, before applying for the final order. Once the marriage formally ends you lose your status as a spouse, which can affect entitlement to widow's or widower's pension benefits and inheritance rights if your former partner dies before the finances are resolved.
Why Longer Marriages Make Getting It Right More Important
The ONS finding that couples are divorcing after longer marriages means more is usually at stake: the family home, savings, business interests and pensions built up over well over a decade. Family lawyers responding to the figures noted that longer marriages mean "considerably more to untangle". A quick online divorce with no financial order might feel efficient, but it can leave the largest assets unresolved.
What Should You Do Next?
If you're thinking about divorce, or you've started the process and haven't yet dealt with your finances, getting clear advice early can save you stress and money later. Our first contact team at QualitySolicitors can match you with an experienced family solicitor near you, who can guide you through each stage of no-fault divorce and make sure your financial settlement is properly secured.