No-Fault Divorce Law will create a ‘Fraud of the Rings’
Fathers4Justice ‘Fraud of The Rings’ protest outside St Paul’s 
Pressure group, Fathers4Justice (F4J), will follow up a protest at St Paul’s Cathedral this week, with the launch a new advertising campaign on the London Underground this week. It will urge men to boycott marriage and avoid what they call the ‘deadly divorce trap’ created by new no-fault divorce laws to be introduced on 6th April.
F4J founder Matt O’Connor warned, “Under these new laws, marriage should come with a public health warning for men – because marriage is a trap. A mantrap.
“We know from the institutional bias of the courts over the last 20 years, there is no no-fault divorce – it’s always the man’s fault. It’s not for nothing that London is the divorce capital of the world. It is because greedy spouses choose to get divorced here because of the near guaranteed huge payouts.
“‘No-fault’ divorce will be bad for men’s health, and make it easier for fathers to be removed from families as divorce does not include child arrangements, meaning any conflict will spill into an adversarial and broken family justice system.
The group argues that men need to reject what they call the ‘fraud of the rings’ and boycott marriage in order to avoid a deadly divorce trap in future years.
F4J rejects misleading claims by the government and solicitors that no-fault divorce will end the ‘blame game’ and say that the archaic, sexist notions of divorce remain, including unlimited spousal maintenance, and the presumption that the children live with their mother, with the father being denied automatic rights of access.
According to the Samaritans, divorced men are 3 x more likely to commit suicide than married men, and research shows divorce for men is linked to poor mental health and early deaths as men lose their partners and children in what F4J calls a ‘living family bereavement’.
The group – who represent over 100,000 families in the UK – say the ‘statement of arrangements’ in divorce papers provides no legally binding child arrangements, and that fathers too often agree to divorce without understanding they will have no legal access rights to see their children.
The campaign’s objectives include:
- A legal presumption of 50/50 parental equality and equal division of assets and monies after separation
- An equal voice and representation for men in the ongoing reform process, including a Minister for Men
- Reforms that follow the Swedish model that ended spousal maintenance and encouraged women to be financially independent following divorce
MEDIA COVERAGE
GB NEWS: Alex Phillips interviews Matt O’Connor on GB News about new No-Fault Divorce laws and the ‘deadly-divorce trap’
TALKRADIO: F4J founder Matt O’Connor urges men to “boycott marriage” in interview with Julia Hartley-Brewer
THE NEW CULTURE FORUM: F4J founder Matt O’Connor says new divorce law is disastrous for men in his extensive interview with Peter Whittle
SUNDAY EXPRESS: CAMPAIGN SLAMS NO-FAULT DIVORCES Campaign group Fathers4Justice has denounced “no-fault” divorce as a sham that will just make “a bad situation worse”. Founder Matt O’Connor said, “it is a grotesque misrepresentation to suggest it will end the blame game…the problems will be displaced from the divorce courts into the family courts” https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1593989/divorce-law-no-fault-divorces
BREITBART NEWS: Said Fathers4Justice founder Matt O’Connor: “The rush to divorce is creating a class of McDads, whose lives and interests are as disposable as a burger wrapper” https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2022/04/14/divorce-filings-jump-50-per-cent-after-uk-introduces-no-fault-law/
GUIDO FAWKES: TFL bans “offensive” “say no to marriage” Fathers4Justice adverts https://order-order.com/2022/03/31/fathers4justice-boycott-marriage-as-tfl-bans-offensive-ad-campaign/
SOUNDCLOUD Fathers4Justice founder says new divorce law is disastrous for men https://soundcloud.com/user-923838732/fathers-4-justice-founder-new-divorce-law-is-disastrous-for-men-marriage-needs-reform
DAILY ADVENT: TFL bans “offensive” “say no to marriage” Fathers4Justice adverts
https://www.dailyadvent.com/news/23b72781d54f465b2fac4254e924c2c5-TfL-Bans-Offensive-Say-No-to-Marriage-Fathers4Justice-Adverts
THE NO-FAULT DIVORCE TRAP – THE FACTS
- Over 100,000 British couples got a divorce in 2020. Office for National Statistics, 2020
- The divorce rate is estimated at 42%. Around half of these divorces are expected to occur in the first 10 years of marriage. Office for National Statistics, 2017
- London is the divorce capital of the world following a series of huge pay-outs in favour of ex-spouses. The Times, 2017
- A sixth of all divorce cases heard by English courts involve foreign nationals. The Times, 2017
- Under new no-fault divorce laws from 6/4/22 a divorce application can no longer be defended. The need for fault is removed as is the requirement for living apart for 2 years to be granted a divorce.
- Divorced men are 3 x more likely to kill themselves than married men. Men, Suicide And Society, The Samaritans, 2012
- Separation from children appears to be a significant factor in some men’s suicides. In addition, men are more likely to be displaced from the family home, to unstable accommodation or homelessness, itself a risk for suicide. Men, Suicide And Society, The Samaritans, 2012
- Nearly 14 men take their own lives every day. Office for National Statistics 2020
- Around 70% of separated dads live in poverty. Dermott and Pantazis, 2014
- 84% of the ‘hidden homeless’ are men between the ages of 21 and 50 yrs of age. Crisis, Truth About Hidden Homelessness, 2011
- Two-thirds of wives believe men are disadvantaged when it comes to child access in divorce. Vardags, 2022
- The average divorce age for men is 46.4 and 43.9 for women. Office for National Statistics, 2020
- The average cost of divorce has increased by 17% in 3 years with couples spending £14,561 on legal and lifestyle costs. Aviva, 2018
- 61% of divorces were petitioned by the wife. Office for National Statistics, 2017
- Only half of today’s millennials will marry, whereas 90% of today’s 60 year olds are married. The Marriage Foundation, 2017
- Just 52% of 20-year-old men will get married. Benson 2014, Office for National Statistics
- There are no set rules for maintenance payments and no cap on the time-limit for maintenance payments. These can be on-going and last a lifetime unless an ex-spouse remarries. Fathers4Justice, 2017
- Other countries like Sweden do not offer spousal maintenance for ex-partners. Alimony is only paid in extreme circumstances when it can last a maximum of just 6 months. Ex-spouses are encouraged to be financially independent following a divorce and are responsible for their own provision. Fathers4Justice, 2017
FATHERS4JUSTICE – THE FACTS
- 2021 was the 20th anniversary of Fathers4Justice.
- Since 2001, Fathers4Justice has received over 800,000 enquiries for help – that’s one enquiry every 15 minutes.
- The F4J team have over 60 years’ family court experience.
- Fathers4Justice is the 3rd Highest supported campaign group in the UK after Greenpeace and Amnesty International. ComRes, 2019
“After 12 months’ marriage I lost my son, my house and my money and was left with nothing. Now I’m living in a bedsit fighting through the family courts to see my boy. It nearly killed me.” Mike Burton, Dad
