What is Unreasonable Behaviour in a Divorce?

Couple on sofa

If your partner has behaved unreasonably towards you and you have decided to obtain a divorce, at Sugare and Co, we can guide you through the process step-by-step.

The most common way to divorce in the UK is to use unreasonable behaviour as the grounds for divorce.  This is because the ‘no-fault’ divorce does not, as yet, exist in the UK, and the other grounds for divorce either require a party to remain in the marriage for longer, or require the consent of the other party, or are more difficult to prove than unreasonable behaviour.

For most people, understandably, they want to divorce as quickly as possible so that they can move on with their lives.

What constitutes unreasonable behaviour?  Several examples are given below:

  • Abuse of any kind, whether physical, emotional, financial, verbal or psychological
  • Inappropriate relationship with another person
  • Lack of support
  • Lack of intimacy
  • Substance misuse
  • Financial recklessness
  • Fanatical Hobby

Divorce proceedings can only be initiated after a period of 12 months of marriage.

If both parties are in agreement to the divorce, using unreasonable behaviour can provide a way out of your marriage in a relatively quick way.

However, if your partner is not willing to engage with you, the divorce process can last for longer.  You also need to be careful not to agree to things on divorce, which may have repercussions later.  

If you would like to have a free confidential discussion about any of the matters raised in this article, please call us on 0113 244 6978 or arrange a free consultation by using the contact form below.