Guidance
Guidance from the President of the Family Division: the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020
Published 2022-03-28Last updated 2022-07-20
The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 amends the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 and the Civil Partnership Act 2004 to remove fault-based concepts in proceedings for divorce, dissolution and (judicial) separation.
This is a fundamental change which will affect the way in which the courts deal with applications.
The President of the Family Division has issued this guidance in order to explain the impact of this change on the court’s approach to costs.
The amendments made by the 2020 Act take effect from 6 April 2022 and this guidance applies to applications issued on or after that date.
Related guidance 5
Other guidance whose text is closest in subject to this document, found by similarity of wording rather than by citation.
- Message from Mr Justice Mostyn: Standard Orders announcement (1 March)2022-12-13
- The Family Court (Composition and Distribution of Business) (Amendment) Rules 20212023-01-06
- Practice Guidance: Independent Domestic Violence Advisers and Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (Family Courts)2023-04-06
- Update to Standard Orders2024-05-21
- President of the Family Division’s Guidance on Allocation and Gatekeeping for Care, Supervision and other Proceedings2022-07-26