This document summarizes changes to divorce law in the UK over time that have made it easier for couples to divorce. It discusses how the 1969 Divorce Law Reform Act introduced the concept of "irretrievable breakdown" as grounds for divorce. Subsequent laws further reduced the minimum time required to file for divorce. It also examines societal factors that have contributed to rising divorce rates like increasing secularization, women's independence, longer lifespans, and higher expectations of marriage centered around romance rather than security. However, it notes that remarriage and cohabitation are still common, and most children still experience nuclear families.

1. SCLY2: Sociology of the FamilyDivorce

2. Changes in the LawDivorce Law Reform Act (1969):“Irretrievable breakdown of marriage”Large increase in divorce as couples sought blameless separation…..…..and backlog was cleared

3. Changes in the LawMatrimonial and Family Proceedings Act (1984):Reduced the minimum time in marriage before divorce could commence from three years to one yearMany “hidden” breakdowns came to court

4. Changes in the LawFamily Law Act (1996)Became law in 1998Seen as New Right backlash to liberalizationIncreased minimum time in marriage to eighteen monthsRequired counseling before marriage could be ended

5. SecularisationLess than 10% regularly attend churchMarriage vows are seen as less bindingRoman Catholics have recognized divorceSome denominations allow divorcees to remarry in church But…Some faiths (egGreek Orthodox) do not recognize remarriage

6. Change in Role of WomenSince 1970’s the majority of divorce petitions have been initiated by womenMore women now work (Oakley) and are able to support themselves after divorceMuch less social stigma attached to divorcees (since 1969 Act)

7. Demographic ChangesWe now live longer and the dangers of childbirth have been effectively removedHence we are married longer and more likely to become disillusioned (Anderson)

8. Cultural ChangesMarriage was once to do with security and companionshipIt is now more about romantic love (Edward Shorter 1977)This makes modern marriages more fragile and can lead to “serial monogamy”

9. Cultural ChangesHigher expectations lead to greater disillusionment and a demand for divorce (Ronald Fletcher 1966)Privatisationmeans that wider kinship ties are less likely to hold marriages together (William Goode 1971)The emotional emphasis of modern relationships make them particularly fragile (Dennis 1984)

10. An End to the Family?Almost 3 in 5 marriages can expect to end in divorceAbout 3 in 10 children are born outside marriageMore and more people are choosing to co-habit rather than marryThere is a small but increasing group of “elective singles” in Britain and the USA

11. But...Over 30% of marriages are remarriagesThe majority of children born outside marriage are registered by both parentsMost of us experience a nuclear family at least once and more likely twice in our lives (Chester 1985)The link between single-parenting and delinquency has more to do with deprivation than family structure