New research by the Office for National Statistics found that the number of divorces in 2010 showed an increase on previous figures, ons.gov.uk reports.
Official figures have put the total number of divorces in 2010 at 119,589, up 4.9 per cent on 2009's figures of 113,949. For every thousand of the married population, this works out as 11.1 people divorcing; up from the previous year's figure of 10.5.
The figures have been rising on average since 1970, where just over a fifth of marriages ended in divorce before the fifteenth wedding anniversary. By 1995 it had risen to a third and now is expected to be over half.
In 2010, the divorce was most prevalent among men and women aged between 40 and 44, the report suggests. In fact, more people are seeking divorce solicitors now than during the global economic uncertainty; something thought to be related to the time taken to get a divorce finalised or a wait for assets to gain value.
BBC News quotes the report as claiming: "The figures show that divorce rates continued their downward trend during 20078 and 2009 but increased in 2010. This could be consistent with the theory that recession is associated with an increased risk of divorce, but with a delayed impact, perhaps reflecting a couple's wait for an economic recovery to lift the value of their assets or the time lag between separation and obtaining a decree absolute.
"A similar trend can be seen during the previous recession in 1990-92, where divorce rates increased more markedly in 1993 than during the recession itself."
