The Scotsman has reported a 19 year increase in the number of marriages in Scotland which it claims is as a result of weddings becoming more affordable, and the increase in the number of non-religious ceremony venues that are available.
The most recent figures for England and Wales echo this trend. However a closer look at the statistics reveals an overriding decrease in the number of marriages since 1970. The simultaneous increase in the number of divorces over this period begs the question; are couples discouraged from marriage by the prospect of a costly and complicated divorce? It would be interesting to know whether the recent increase in the number of marriages is linked to the possibility of greater financial certainty upon divorce, given the current legal status of pre-nups.
Even in the absence of a pre-nup, costly and complicated divorces need not be the norm. Family mediation, collaborative law and arbitration are all alternatives to the traditional court route that can often be less costly, and more efficient.
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