Couples who voted differently in the Brexit referendum could be heading for divorce, family law organisation Resolution has claimed.
The stress of dealing with a spouse who supported the opposing side in the referendum campaign could be the final straw for some couples whose relationships are already troubled. Having divergent political opinions could reinforce doubts about how much, or how little, a couple has in common.
Nigel Shepherd is chair of the organisation. He said that Resolution members have encountered many couples who “fell out in a big way because one voted for remain and one for leave”. Although he suspected that it was not the sole reason people were seeking a divorce, Shepherd suggested that the Brexit debate “was a really divisive campaign” which “was the last straw [for some couples] that made them think ‘we are really incompatible’”.
Family lawyers are also facing difficulties in the aftermath of the Brexit vote, he explained, as solicitors “can’t say now where we would like [international family] issues determined” and they “don’t know what marriage regulations will exist” going forward.
Last month, the House of Commons Justice Committee launched an inquiry into the possible effects of Brexit on the British justice system. They are accepting written evidence from legal experts until 11 November. When the inquiry was launched, the Committee expressed particular interest in the impact of Britain’s exit from the EU on “cross-border legal disputes, such as the ‘Brussels Regulations’ … and family matters”.
