Strictly embargoed 00.01, 8 January 2007

Monday 8th January is Britain’s D-Day (Divorce Day) – more people embarking on the road to divorce today than any other day of the year. New research by InsideDivorce.com reveals the state of marriage and divorce in 2007 Britain.

•    One in five couples in Britain are on the verge of a break up & millions more trapped in unhappy marriages
•    Sex, infidelity, falling out of love and abuse are the primary reason for divorce in Britain
•    One in five women cite a serious incident of abuse as the reason for relationship breakdown
•    One in three men currently bored with their wife and marriage
•    Average length of marriage before it hits the rocks is seven years, three months
•    Worst example of divorce is Mills-McCartney and best is Fergie and Prince Andrew

Today kick-starts the week when Britain’s divorce lawyers receive more enquiries from people contemplating a divorce than at any other time throughout the year, according to research conducted by new divorce website insidedivorce.com*.

One of the UK’s leading divorce lawyers, James Stewart from Manches LLP, backs up this point: “A stressful Christmas can often be the final nail in the marital coffin. Extra time together can force problems that already exist in the relationship to come to a head. We are expecting this to be our busiest day and indeed our busiest week.”

According to Relate, the UK’s largest provider of relationship support in the UK, the trend to kick-start the divorce process in January correlates with the surge (up to 50% higher than any other time of the year) in the number of calls its centres receive over the festive period.

An independent research report, Marriage and Divorce in 2007 Britain**, commissioned to coincide with the launch of the UK’s most comprehensive divorce website insidedivorce.com gives the inside track on relationships. 

The research takes an in-depth look at modern love – the social, economic, sexual and psychological ups and downs that make and break Britain’s relationships. It questioned over 2,000 married, divorced and separated people living in the UK. A separate report questioned 350 children.

Click here to download the full press release
Click here to download an executive summary of the adult's research
Click here to download an executive summary of the kid's research
Click here to download a regional summary of the results

For press enquiries and more information contact:
Geraldine McGrory, McGrory Communications, 020 7609 2081 or 0787065731, geraldine@mcgrorycommunications.com or visit www.mcgrorycommunications.com.

Note to editors:

Insidedivorce.com is a new Website for those experiencing relationship breakdown, divorce and moving on and is launched today January 8th 2007. It provides day to day information on a variety of legal, financial and lifestyle issues relevant to those finding themselves in relationship difficulties. The site will offer a forum for people experiencing similar problems the opportunity to talk to each other. Insidedivorce.com has been launched by independent publishers Polyview Media Ltd. and the team that previously ran The Lawyer magazine and founded the multi award winning business publication Legal Week and other ground breaking innovations. Winner PPA Business Magazine of the year, Winner IPAC most innovative Route to Market, Winner PPA Acheivement Award and Winner EBITM Events Award. 

* Insidedivorce.com interviewed over 100 divorce law firms in the UK as to their busiest period for divorce.

**The research for insidedivorce.com was carried out online by Tickbox.net during December 2006 amongst a nationally representative sample of 341 children. Tickbox.net is a leading market research organisation, carrying out consumer, corporate and niche market surveys online amongst a 50,000+ member panel.  Tickbox.net is a member of the BMRA (British Market Research Association), follows the codes of the MRS (Market Research Society) and are fully registered and compliant with the Data Protection Registrar, as well as being the preferred research supplier of the PRCA (Public Relations Consultants Association).