In an astonishing turn of events, the high court in London has heard how a computer error led to the incorrect approval of 79 divorce applications. The online divorce filing system mistakenly greenlighted petitions that were submitted just one day after the couples’ first wedding anniversary – 24 hours too early under UK law, which mandates a minimum of one year and one day of marriage before a divorce can be granted.
System Glitch Sparks Legal Chaos
The shocking revelations came to light during a hearing on Wednesday, where lawyers for the lord chancellor asked the court to rule that the divorces should be considered “voidable” rather than outright “void”. They argued that completely undoing the divorces would have “highly unfortunate and highly unwelcome” consequences for the parties involved.
According to court records, between the launch of the online divorce portal’s validation system in April 2022 and April 2024, a total of 96 divorce applications were erroneously made on the first anniversary of the marriages. Of those, 79 went all the way through to a final divorce order being issued, due to the system’s failure to flag the applications as premature.
Divorcees Express Anguish Over Legal Limbo
The court heard poignant statements from several respondents who described the “significant distress” the situation has caused them. With their marital status now in question, some divorcees who had since remarried or were planning to wed again have been left in a painful state of uncertainty. As one court insider revealed:
These people had rebuilt their lives on the understanding they were no longer legally tied to their ex-partner. To now be told their divorce might not be valid after all is simply devastating.
Lawyers Argue for “Voidable” Rather Than Void
In a written submission to the court, Sir James Eadie KC spelled out the potential ramifications of the divorces being completely undone. Beyond the emotional turmoil, he noted there would be significant legal and practical consequences, especially for those who had remarried or seen financial orders issued after the affected divorces.
Eadie characterized the online validation error as a “minor” and “genuine system flaw”, emphasizing that all the cases met the actual criteria for divorce, albeit filed prematurely by a day. He implored the court to deem the divorces “voidable” rather than void, which would allow them to stand.
High Court Deliberates as Couples Await Fate
The presiding justices have retired to weigh the complex issues at hand, with a written judgment expected to be handed down at a later date. For the affected couples, it’s an agonizing wait to discover if their divorced status will be upheld or if they’ll be plunged back into marriages they thought were legally dead and buried.
This isn’t the first time computer errors have wreaked havoc on divorce proceedings. Earlier this year, lawyers at a leading law firm mistakenly applied for the wrong couple’s divorce, which was rubber-stamped through the online system in a mere 21 minutes. However, in this instance, while the erroneous divorce order was not overturned, it has opened up a legal quagmire that dozens of couples are now desperately hoping to escape from, with their futures hanging in the balance.
