Although domestic abuse rates continue to rise in the UK, recent statistics unfortunately show that married victims are less likely to flee their abusive partners in 2024. According to UK financial service providers, over 270,000 divorces have been delayed this year due to the ongoing cost of living crisis.
‘Divorce Day’ is a term that is sometimes used by lawyers when referring to Monday 2nd January as this is when a notable peak in new enquiries for getting a divorce usually tends to occur. Relational pressures arising from poor family dynamics that have been exasperated by the ‘pressure cooker’ of the holiday season often come to a head, driving more couples to separate. As a result, January can also sometimes be colloquially referred to as ‘divorce month’ given the large volume of people seeking a fresh start with the new year.
However, couples have been increasingly reluctant to follow this trend ever since the economic recession began in 2020, citing financial scarcity, living expenses, income insecurity, and the general cost of getting a divorce as reasons to hold off on terminating their marriages. This is perhaps unsurprising given the compounded effect of the pandemic 3 years ago, coupled with the recent cost of living crisis, which has left many households in Britain on the brink of financial destitution as a result of the ensuing sharp rise in the cost of utilities, goods, and housing.
Unfortunately, the knock-on effect means that people who find themselves in abusive marriages are now even less likely to seek justice due to their being unable to stand alone financially. Legal charitable organisations who aid women in separating from their abusive partners have also recorded a significant rise in new enquiries this year. They report that many women find themselves at their breaking point after having had to put up with increased abuse aggravated by higher alcohol-use, more close-contact situations, and festive debt brought on by the holiday season.
If you are facing domestic abuse, it is important to avail yourself of resources that have been set up to support people in your situation and we recommend contacting the following in a crisis:
National Domestic Abuse Helpline
www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk
Womens Aid
www.womensaid.org.uk
Mens Advice Line
https://mensadviceline.org.uk
We at Grayfords also have a wealth of experience in dealing with domestic abuse, injunctions, divorces, and child custody arrangements and are able to help you pursue legal action should you wish to do so. Don’t hesitate to book a free consultation today to speak with one of our solicitors and find out more about how we can help.