By the end of last year the pressures of lockdown, uncertainty in the economy and job losses led to major rises in domestic violence, and record numbers of legal disputes relating to children between their separated parents. There has also been a reversal to the decades of decline in divorce rates.
The pandemic saw a major increase in domestic violence allegations, with 39,427 restraining orders made during 2020, 17 per cent up on 2019 levels. Nick Manners comments: ‘The most concerning feature of the latest statistics is the huge increase in domestic violence cases on last year. Alarm bells should be ringing in Whitehall. ‘The physical and mental well-being of those who have suffered increased violence at home due to lockdown must not be forgotten as the country eases out of current restrictions.’ First published by the Daily Mail in print on 26 March 2021 and reproduced with kind permission.
For further information, please contact Nick Manners by email or on 020 7465 4300
Nick is a specialist family lawyer who focuses on all areas of family law, including issues arising from divorce, cohabitation and the financial consequences of a relationship breakdown. Nick also regularly advises on children disputes involving contact, residence and relocation (including international relocation), as well as pre and post-nuptial agreements. He works for a variety of HNW and UHNW clients on both contentious and non-contentious matters, including those with a complex international angle. He also has experience of advising clients upon the breakdown of civil partnerships and Inheritance Act claims. Nick has been involved in a number of high profile and reported cases at first instance and the Court of Appeal.
