The legal fraternity state that financial settlement disputes rarely need adjudication in court. The statistics below from the ONS tell a very different story.
Extracts from The Law Commission Report No. 343 – MATRIMONIAL PROPERTY, NEEDS AND AGREEMENTS
1.17 Traditionally, arrangements for financial needs have been negotiated – in all but the simplest of cases – with the help of lawyers. In the very small proportion of cases that have been resolved in court, judges have been able to craft solutions that fit the circumstances of the individuals before them.
1.18 First, for the most part, the solutions negotiated or adjudicated lead eventually to the parties becoming independent of each other. Divorce and, so far as we can tell so soon after its introduction, dissolution of civil partnerships do not mean lifelong dependence. The incidence of joint lives periodical payments is very small indeed, and the economic evidence points to the fact that people do recover from the financial crisis that divorce so often is and become able, financially, to move on. [Humbug, pure humbug].
ONS – Number of financial remedy disposals made by type of disposal
|
|
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
|
Divorces |
119,606 |
120,671 |
115,153 |
111,970 |
102,301 |
108,298 |
|
Periodical payments |
12,080 |
12,183 |
11,309 |
10,161 |
9,768 |
10,619 |
|
10% |
10% |
10% |
9% |
10% |
10% |
|
|
Lump sum orders |
24,049 |
24,687 |
24,599 |
23,986 |
22,862 |
24,550 |
|
20% |
20% |
21% |
21% |
22% |
23% |
|
|
Property adjustment orders |
26,204 |
25,557 |
24,803 |
23,193 |
21,231 |
21,559 |
|
22% |
21% |
22% |
21% |
21% |
20% |
|
|
Pension sharing orders |
9,152 |
9,841 |
9,538 |
9,039 |
8,196 |
10,388 |
|
8% |
8% |
8% |
8% |
8% |
10% |
|
|
Pension attachment orders |
2,283 |
3,100 |
2,888 |
2,855 |
2,993 |
4,242 |
|
2% |
3% |
3% |
3% |
3% |
4% |
|
|
Secure Provision Order |
4,866 |
4,949 |
4,907 |
4,335 |
4,385 |
8,871 |
|
4% |
4% |
4% |
4% |
4% |
8% |
|
|
Maintenance pending suit |
2,215 |
2,520 |
2,397 |
2,303 |
2,464 |
2,554 |
|
2% |
2% |
2% |
2% |
2% |
2% |