Some striking claims have been made about the cost to the economy of mass litigation. Pressure group Fair Civil Justice has claimed that, if left unchecked, collective litigation will lose the country £18 billion ‘even under conservative modelling’, wipe £11bn off the market capitalisation of our most innovative businesses and stall the country’s longed-for economic expansion. Seema Kennedy of Fair Civil Justice has insisted: ‘This is no longer just a legal issue, it’s a matter of economic resilience. If policymakers fail to act, the UK risks becoming a hostile environment for innovation, long-term investment, and fair access to justice. We urgently […]

The latest research shows that the tiniest ember of early hope can determine if couples drift apart or find their way back from the brink of divorce. Many couples find themselves in a painful limbo when their marriage reaches a state of dissolution. Dichotomous experiences come to dominate. There is too much hurt to ignore, and too much uncertainty to have any hope whatsoever. It is in this fragile grey zone that the ultimate decisions about the future are made. Sometimes people feel pressured to make quick decisions, other times people hinge on their marriage for years on end because […]

There’s no doubt in my mind that divorce lawyers probably hear some of the most bizarre details about people’s marriages. A while back, Reddit user dankph asked: “Divorce Lawyers of Reddit, what’s the most outrageous reason someone filed for divorce?” And the stories range from painfully petty to jaw-on-the-floor-shocking. Here are the most interesting ones: Some responses also came from this thread because they were just too good to ignore.  1. “I worked in matrimonial law for a year and a half before I had to leave because it just overwhelmed me with how awful humanity is. I’ll never forget filing papers […]

By Sharon Murray, Partner and Head of Family Law, Gillespie Macandrew As a new year begins, some couples may take the opportunity to reflect on their relationship and contemplate what their future holds. This period of introspection may sometimes lead to a decision to end their relationship.  The start of 2025 has proven no different as a string of separations affecting public figures are announced – mainly from couples who have been married for some time.  In January, we often receive an increase in the number of enquiries from individuals who are seeking information about what separation may entail for them. […]

Key Takeaways Divorce is a time of major change and upheaval —not just for your marriage and family but your friendships, too. Reassess your social circle and discuss any concerns with your friends through open, honest dialogue. It can also be a good time to make new friends and rebuild your support system. If you have trouble with a friendship after your divorce, meeting with a licensed therapist for tips and support may be helpful. As you navigate divorce, having questions and concerns about your friendships is common. Recent divorcées may be anxious about being left out of couples get-togethers or being […]

When I began interviewing divorced individuals for my research on modern relationships, I expected to hear stories of dramatic betrayals, explosive arguments, and obvious incompatibilities. The popular narrative suggests that marriages end in flames—someone cheats, someone lies, someone changes fundamentally. But after speaking with 100 divorced people over the course of eighteen months, I discovered something far more unsettling: the most dangerous warning signs are often the quietest ones, hiding in plain sight within the mundane rhythms of daily life. My first interview was with Sarah, a 42-year-old marketing executive who’d been divorced for three years. As she sipped her […]

When marriages unravel, people hunt for neat explanations: infidelity, money fights and drifting apart. Lately, though, a surprising suspect keeps cropping up in the cultural conversation: Viagra. Not as some melodramatic villain, but as a real-world catalyst that exposes fractures many couples had learned to side-step. The drug that restored erections for millions has, researchers and clinicians say, also reopened conversations and rifts that had quietly calcified. It’s an easy story to tell: a pill restores a man’s sexual function, new desires reappear, someone strays, and a marriage collapses. But the truth is messier. The rise in what is termed […]