Chesterfield solicitors dealing with 'tsunami' of divorce cases due to Covid-19 lockdown

Divorce solicitor Bradie Pell, head of family law at Graysons, on Saltergate, has been dealing with ‘a tsunami of divorce enquiries’ since the first lockdown came to an end.

She claims levels have even been peaking above the yearly ‘divorce day’ – the traditional spike in January that sees couples which have managed to hold it together for the festive period finally throwing the towel in.

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Law firms traditionally see a lull in divorce enquiries in the summer months.

But this year – with the pandemic meaning couples have spent months alone with each other – many have been reporting a 40 per cent increase when compared to the same period in 2019.

Bradie said: “It has been an incredibly challenging situation for everyone. The first lockdown tested the resilience of even the strongest marriage.

“But my fear is the impact of a second lockdown. Couples are just starting to get their lives back together and settling back into a more healthy work/life balance.

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"Another lockdown could be curtains for many. Add spiralling levels of mental health issues and increasing alcohol consumption brought on by Covid and you have a looming catastrophe.

“It has been truly heart-breaking to see previously happy couples going through the emotional turmoil of a divorce brought on by the first lockdown.

"I just hope, if the worst does happen, couples learn from their experiences earlier in the year and give each other the space and tolerance to get through a second.”

Recent figures released by comparison site The Law Superstore reveal how the demand for legal services relating to divorce was 30 per cent higher in May and June 2020 than in the final quarter of 2019.

Registrations for quotes for divorce legal services began to rise in late March and climbed sharply throughout April to reach record levels in May and June, when couples began to emerge from the Government-mandated lockdown, the figures show.

Bradie deals with the whole spectrum of legal issues that affect families, including divorce, separation, finances, injunctions and matters relating to children.

For more information, visit Graysons website.

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