One in ten people in Brighton have seen their marriages end in divorce, a study has found.

The rate, above the national average, shows ten per cent of over 16s in the city have split up from their husband or wife.

Nearly half of residents in Brighton have never married, while around 35 per cent of those surveyed by the Office for National Statistics are currently married or in a civil partnership.

Phillip Barnsley, head of family at law firm Higgs LLP, said: “The general trend around divorces is for them to be on the rise, and that is usually a pattern which emerges in a challenging economic climate.

“What we are also seeing in increasing numbers is that those people who are getting divorced are keen to do so in a more amicable way.


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“The introduction of no-fault divorce last year has also been hugely important in creating an amicable and collaborative approach to divorce.”

Mr Barnsley said changes to legislation, including couples being able to use one lawyer rather than separate lawyers, have made many divorces more amicable.

The national average for divorce rates is around nine per cent.