Couples are too broke to break up - says divorce expert

Rising mortgage rates, unaffordable rents, tax increases, and increased energy costs are forcing thousands of separated couples to remain under the same roof – creating what a divorce expert calls a “silent divorce crisis.”

“We’re seeing couples stuck in legal and emotional limbo,” says Mark Keenan, founder of Divorce-Online.

“They’ve emotionally separated. They want to move on. But financially, they’re trapped – sharing a kitchen while they sort out spreadsheets, living like flatmates with a joint mortgage.”

Divorce-Online, which handles thousands of cases each year, has seen a marked increase in clients who:

• File for divorce but don't sort their finances
• Remain living together after separation
• Say they can’t afford to rent or buy alone
• Co-parent under the same roof, in separate rooms

One client shared:

“We split after Christmas 2022. We both want to move on, but the mortgage’s fixed rate ended and now neither of us can afford the house or to rent separately. We haven’t shared a bed in over a year – and we barely speak.”

Mark Keenan adds:

“This isn’t about people being indecisive. It’s about people being priced out of freedom. If we don’t talk about it, we’ll see more anxiety, more conflict – and more people stuck in homes that no longer feel safe or fair.”

Divorce-Online is calling on the government to promote accessible, fixed-fee legal services for separating couples, and to recognise that the cost of living crisis is now becoming a relationship crisis.

About Divorce-Online:

Founded in 1999, Divorce-Online is the UK’s original online divorce provider. It has helped over 200,000 people divorce affordably with fixed-fee services including divorce applications, financial consent orders and tools to save money.