Residents are being asked to submit their views on a potential reform of the island’s divorce law.

Daphne Caine MHK (Garff) alongside Jane Poole-Wilson MLC and family law advocate Hazel Smith are looking to make changes to the law that would allow a ’no fault’ divorce, making it simpler for married couples to separate.

The proposed changes would see couplse be able to separate in six months. At present, it can take up to two years even if both partners agreed. And if one doesn’t, it can take five years.

Mrs Caine was given leave to introduce a private member’s Bill in October 2018 and told the Examiner that ’divorce is acknowledged as one of the most stressful live events a person can experience, second only to death of a loved one’.

She added: ’Once couples have decided to divorce or dissolve their civil partnership, the process can be a lengthy one and have a long term negative impact on the couple and on children in particular.

’The purpose of bringing forward this Bill is to make divorcing a more honest, simpler and less stressful process.’ Over the last three years, fault-based divorces for ’behaviour and adultery’ make up between 55% and 62% of separations, which is similar to England.

However in Scotland where no fault divorce is allowed, that figure is about 6% of all divorces.

Mrs Smith said a change in the law wouldn’t result in sharp increase in divorces.

However she said if it was passed, then it may see a ’short term spike’ as couples who would have had to wait for two years would now be able to divorce in a quicker and more orderly fashion.

The consultation runs until January 2.