Regional divorce centres were opened in 2015 to deal with divorce work. The regional centres have been criticised by senior judges for delays and inefficiencies.
The south west regional divorce unit is in Southampton. It is the main centre for divorce work from this region. It has struggled to keep up with the volume of work which it is required to process. These difficulties have been increased by the Covid-19 lockdown and there are now significant delays.
On 01 June 2020, the south west regional unit provided details of delays in processing:
They were processing correspondence including emails received on 08/03/2020. They also reported that they were processing divorce petitions received 6 weeks ago and acknowledgements of service received 11 weeks ago.
The centre reported processing applications for decree nisi received 10 weeks ago and the court office was working through approved decree nisi applications which were considered by the district judge on 11/05/2020.
Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service is hoping that delays caused by Covid-19 will be brought under control.
As a result, it is important to be prepared for your divorce to take longer than normal.
If you are considering divorce or separation and would like specialist advice, give C& C Family Law a ring on 01752 222211