DIY Divorce Form Could Lead to More Adultery Accusations

A new "DIY" divorce form designed to make the process quicker and more user-friendly could lead to thousands more people being accused of adultery, lawyers have warned.

The new form, which was introduced last week, includes a dedicated section for a petitioner to fill in the details of "the person your partner committed adultery with." Anyone named on the form becomes party to the case and receives a letter informing them why.

Although applicants are not obliged to name the person they believe tempted their partner to stray, experts believe that many more could fill in the section either through misunderstanding or deliberately, to get back at their former partner.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said:

"It has always been possible for a petitioner to name the person they believe their spouse has committed adultery with on divorce application forms.

"As set out in the previous form, and more clearly in the new form, there is obviously no obligation to do so. This is a relevant part of divorce proceedings."

According to the most recent figures, adultery was cited as the reason for 12,148 divorce cases in 2015.

If your marriage has come to an end and you are looking to begin divorce proceedings, contact our Lewisham team in confidence. Speak to us on 020 8297 4414.

Mandy Peters

Divorce Solicitors