Lancashire Tops List for Divorce
Recent studies have shown around one-third of marriages since 1964 have ended in divorce. In 2019, 107,599 divorces were granted to opposite-sex couples and 822 to same-sex couples. This is an 18% increase from the previous year, partly due to a backlog of paperwork caused by COVID 19.
Recent calculated figures show that 42% of marriages in England and Wales end in divorce, and where you live can have a big effect on the likelihood of a couple staying together.
Statistics from the last census show the top ten locations for the highest divorce rates with Blackpool in Lancashire coming out on top with the worst rate at 13.13%.
Top 10 UK Locations with the Highest Divorce Rates
- Blackpool (Lancashire) – 13.13%
- Hastings (East Sussex) – 12.83%
- Torbay (Devon) – 12.19%
- Weymouth and Portland (Dorset) – 12.05%
- Thanet (Kent) – 11.86%
- Isle of Wight – 11.56%
- Gosport – 11.48%
- Eastbourne – 11.47%
- Great Yarmouth – 11.37%
- Worthing – 11.23%
Top 10 UK Locations with the Lowest Divorce Rates
According to the Office for National Statistics, the divorce rate in Britain was 8.2% last year. In comparison, here are the places with the lowest divorce rates:
- Harrow (North-West London) – 5.41%
- Tower Hamlets (East London) – 5.65%
- East Dunbartonshire (Scotland) – 5.94%
- Newham (East London) – 6.18%
- Redbridge (North-East London) – 6.19%
- East Renfrewshire (Scotland) – 6.19%
- Oxford – 6.43%
- Wandsworth (South-West London) – 6.46%
- Siar (Outer Hebrides) – 6.50%
Of the top ten locations with the highest divorce rates, all of them exist by the sea. Experts believe this is no coincidence stating that high divorce is potentially due to ‘boredom’ living on the coast.
Why does Lancashire have a High Divorce Rate?
Seaside towns remain one of the UK’s most desirable places to live but can often see high levels of deprivation. In England, the Northwest has the highest number of divorcees with 16% of all the surveyed people saying they are divorced. Coastal areas in the Northwest such as Lancashire like Blackpool and surrounding towns have high levels of divorce.
When it comes to divorce, unreasonable behaviour is the most common reason for divorce in the UK. However, in coastal towns, financial issues rather than infidelity are more common issues which may lead to divorce.
There’s also the potential that after the busy summer months the quiet winter coastal living leaves couples to seek distraction.
Additionally, coastal towns are usually locations chosen for retirement. With 50-64-year-olds having the highest divorce rates, coastal divorces in coastal towns may be high due to the age of the couples that live there.
Our Divorce Solicitors Lancashire, based in our Blackburn office and providing services across the UK, can provide the legal support needed to aid you in your divorce.
How Much Does Age Affect Divorce?
From our mid-thirties, there is a large increase in couples who get divorced. The divorce rate jumps from 5.7% before the age of 35 to 10.9%. after it. That figure is doubled with over 55s. Additionally, those over 45s are three and a half times more likely to be divorced than 25–34-year-olds
Divorce Rates for Different Age Groups
- 16-24 -4.5%
- 25-34 – 5.7%
- 35-44 – 10.9%
- 45-54 – 16.8%
- 55+ – 17.5%
Data shows that 42% of married couples are expected to divorce. Despite this figure, 84% of the surveyed couples, stated they were ‘happily married’. An additional 8.2% of couples stated they were ‘neither happy nor unhappy.’ Finally, 8% of couples stated they were ‘unhappily married. Of the ‘unhappily married’ couples, only 23.8% of couples plan to divorce with the rest planning to stay married.
Additionally, the divorce rate has been following a gradual downward trajectory after it peaked in 1993 when 165,018 marriages ended in divorce.
Divorce Solicitors Lancashire
If your relationship has broken down, our Divorce Solicitors Lancashire offer UK-wide expert help to aid you with the process of getting a divorce. Here at Cartwright King, we can offer you the best possible legal advice to guide you through all the decisions that you will need to make for yourself and your family.
Cartwright King has offices all over the UK, with one of our offices situated in Blackburn. Therefore, we can provide legal aid to aid to anyone eligible within a 25-mile radius of our Blackburn office. This covers areas such as:
- Blackpool
- Preston
- Manchester
- Southport
- Warrington
- Burnley
- Wigan
- Burnley
View if you’re eligible for Family Law legal aid in Lancashire.
For a consultation about your divorce, call the experienced divorce lawyers at Cartwright King on 03458 941 622 or request a call back online today and we will call you.
Legal Disclaimer.
All advice is correct at time of publication.
