In Islam, divorce can apparently occur by the repetition of the phrase “ I divorce thee” repeated three times with a suitable “cooling off period”.
Sensible, so that in the heat of the moment the whole thing doesn’t go too far.
Radical reform calling for the streamlining of matrimonial law doesn’t quite go this far though!
However, the suggestion from Sir James Mumby, president of the High Court’s family division, that uncontested divorces might be completed without judicial supervision would seem to make the divorce process less costly and speedier.
Dealing with the financial split between the couple might also be separate from the legal process of ending the marriage.
We certainly get feedback from clients about the sometimes excessive cost of the divorce process, usually where there is a long-drawn out and often bitter dispute about the cause of the divorce.
This is then followed by an argument about what constitutes a fair share of matrimonial assets.
So any move to reduce the financial impact of divorce will be financially beneficial to both parties.
It may not be as easy as repeating the phrase three times but any move to simplify and reduce cost is to be welcomed.
