UK Christmas Day divorces spike in wake of digital access

  • 05/01/2019

The festive season can be an extra stress that some families just can't cope with, so much so that in the UK 13 people filed for divorce on Christmas Day alone.

They were just some of the 455 people who submitted applications over the holiday period.

With just a few clicks, dozens of unhappily married people chose to celebrate the season of love by submitting online divorce papers.

In the UK, 23,000 people used the online divorce application service since it was introduced in April last year, Ministry of Justice statistics show.

Charlotte Leyshon, a family lawyer, told ITV News she's "saddened to hear that".

"Certainly with my clients, I would always advise anyone who makes any inquires with me after Christmas to consider cooling off, consider counselling [or] mediation.

"Obviously with an online resource, it's very immediate and perhaps that cooling off is not quite as easily accessible afterwards."

Financial and family pressures over the festive season can lead to more relationships breaking down in January than at any other time of the year, ITV News reports.

In fact, next Monday is known as Divorce Day in the UK when family lawyers expect to see a surge in the number of clients inquiring about ending their marriage.

But for those who simply can't wait, fully digital services mean applying for a divorce is now possible, even on Christmas Day.

ITV News / Newshub.