Eight jaw-dropping divorce statistics

Separation can feel isolating but our divorce statistics show you’re not alone. Nearly half a million people each year in the UK face the break-up of a marriage or cohabiting relationship and half of those break-ups involve people with kids. Here are some other things you might not know about divorce and separation:

1. 42% of marriages end in divorce & 50% of cohabiting parents’ relationships break-up

2. Children born today have a 50/50 chance of having both parents at home by age 15

3. Only 9% of couples who break up have a high-conflict relationship – i.e. arguing a lot, a year prior to splitting – but over half cite conflict as a key feature of their divorce

4. If you end up in court, the average cost of a divorce is £80,000 in London and £26,000 elsewhere

5. In a recent online survey 65% of people said communication problems were a common factor leading to divorce and 43% stated an inability to resolve conflict as a critical factor

6. Women were more likely to say their partner’s behaviour was the reason for divorce. 54% of divorces granted to women were due to their husband’s behaviour whereas only 38% of men mention their wife’s behaviour as the reason.

7. You’re more likely to divorce if you live in Bristol than if you live in London

8. Children today are more likely to have a smartphone than a father at home

Data sources: ONS, Marriage Care, Huff Post, amicable

If you, or someone you know, is facing the break-up of a relationship then amicable can help. We’re changing the way the world separates and divorces by focusing on family-friendly solutions and keeping things – well, amicable…