Online divorce pilot ends

The online divorce pilot, which aimed to let couples save time and money by applying for uncontested divorces online, ended last week. Given the government’s indications that it will proceed with reform to introduce no-fault divorce, however, there will ‘almost inevitably lead to a major overhaul of the entire system, potentially triggering the need for yet another pilot,’ says Lottie Tyler, family law associate at Weightmans. Security is bound to be a big issue, she adds. ‘Recent concerns around the new online probate service increasing the risk of fraud due to lacking the relevant checks will also put pressure on government to ensure the online divorce review system is watertight.’