divorce and marriage policies

• 1969 divorce reform act 


  • before 1969 - only one partner had to prove that the other was at fault to be granted a divorce
  • divorce reform act - a marriage could be ended by both parties involved and the reason for divorce did not need to be severe
  • 'no fault' - an individual did not need grounds, such as adultery or abandonment, in order to get divorced.
  • decline in marriage and birth rates
  • more reconstituted families, lone-person, lone-parent
• civil partnerships act 2004 


  new labour policy

  • gave same-sex couples the rights and responsibilities like those in a civil marriage.
  • Civil partners are entitled to the same property rights, the same exemptions on inheritance tax, social security, and pension benefits as married couples.
  • a03 - still couldn't get married on same basis as heterosexual couples
• marriage (same-sex) act 2013


  allows same-sex couples to enter a marriage in England and Wales on the same basis as opposite-sex couples, and to convert Civil Partnerships to Marriages. 
• marriage and civil partnership minimum age act 2022 


  In 2022 the minimum age of marriage in England and Wales was raised to 18.

  Previously it had been possible for 16 and 17 year olds to get married with parental consent.

  decline in forced marriages, birth rates
• equal pay act 1970

  • narrowed gender pay gap
  • decline in marriage, birth rate, fertility rates
  • made women more career focused
• impacts on family structure

  • increased cohabitation, delayed marriage
  • increase divorce
  • same-sex marriages
  • lone parent families
• abortion act 1967

  • legalised abortion in uk
  • delayed couples having children, getting married
  • couples able to be together based on their own wishes - marriage no longer seen as binding obligation
• child tax credits

  • meant parents could greater financial support from the state
  • led to divorce, lone-parents families - parents no longer seeing the need to support their child financially due to dependency on the state
• child support agency

  • attempted to support lone parent families by acquiring income from non resident parents - absent parents who left the family
  • make them personally responsible for financially supporting their children