A recent survey of 2,5000 adults from West End commercial firm Seddons has found that the average cost of divorce for couples in the UK is now around £70,243. However, the average cost of divorce skyrockets to £134,525 in London, due largely to higher costs of living, legal fees and interests on debt. A large portion of the bill to be footed by separating spouses is headed into the pockets of family lawyers, with the average divorcing couple paying almost £9,000 and Londoners forking out more than twice that at £18,269. However, the bulk of the financial burden stems from the loss of joint financial and material assets, the division of which is taking couples longer than ever.

Costly delays

According to Seddons’ findings, it now takes around 11 months for a divorcing couple to reach a financial settlement, with around 25 per cent of divorces cases taking 18-months or more. Although 77 per cent of survey respondents in London said reaching a settlement quickly was the number one priority during their divorce, difficulty reaching a final settlement and a rise in the number of litigants in person in UK divorce courts (itself stemming from reduced access to Legal Aid) are dragging out divorce proceedings for many couples. Seddons family partner Toby Hale commented: ‘Getting divorced is relatively straight forward. Reaching a financial settlement can be harder for couples when they disagree, they can find the courts are clogged, causing further distress and a crippling drain on their finances.’

Growing appetite for arbitration

Seddons’ survey also uncovered an emerging preference for arbitration as an alternative to the courts for couples attempting to reach a mutually-agreeably divorce settlement. Around 48 per cent of respondents to Seddons’ survey said they would prefer arbitration to going to court as a way of settling their finances, while 66 per cent said they would have used arbitration in their previous divorce(s) had they known about it. Seddons’ own private arbitration service, Secure Separation, aims to start and conclude divorce arbitration proceedings within four months and offers services on a fixed-fee basis.