Editorial

Abstract

Spring 2022 has brought the prospect of a less adversarial divorce process for England and Wales. The implementation of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 means that no-fault divorce has finally been introduced. The new law allows a couple jointly, or one of the spouses individually, to make a statement that the marriage has broken down irretrievably. This statement will provide conclusive evidence that the marriage has ended and there will be no need for either party to prove that the marriage has broken down by establishing the previously required ‘facts’ – of which the fault-based facts were the most commonly used. (ONS, 2022) The aim of the new law is to make the divorce process more amicable and less adversarial. Whilst the new divorce law does not make any changes to the financial and property arrangements spouses will make, some commentators have noted the ongoing concerns within the system about gender disparity of post-divorce finances, particularly regarding pensions. Webb and Taylor suggest that the ‘focus on speed and “moving on” may be to the detriment of fairness when it comes to pensions’ (Webb and Taylor, 2022, p. 2). It is with finances on separation in mind that we turn to the first paper in this issue which focuses on financial behaviour in adult relationships. Drawing on interview data, Charlotte Bendall argues that it is not relationship form that predominantly influences individuals’ approaches to finances. Instead, by adopting a relational lens, she suggests that there are other factors which influence behaviour, including the role of individuals’ parents and their relationship with finances. Whilst the first paper in this issue focuses on adult relationships within family law, our second paper considers the cross-border placement of children. In a highly topical piece, Jakub Pawliczak examines the placement of children into foster care in Poland by foreign authorities in light of Polish law reform in January 2018. This piece discusses the relevant Polish regulations and will be of particular interest for professionals who engage with cross-border placements in their work. The next two papers consider important topics which have a regulatory dimension, exploring the issues of social care and the social work profession. The first article, by Jane Lewis, explores the problem of social care in English Nursing and Residential Homes for Older People and explores the implications of a fragmented, for-profit social care system on sustainability and quality, focusing in particular on the workforce. She argues that reliance on regulation via the market is misplaced and that state regulation can play an important role in improving the sector. The second regulatory paper is by Sue Westwood who asks whether it is possible for religious social workers opposed to the LGBTQ way of life, to work affirmatively with them? In responding to this question, she explores, within a regulatory context, the case of Felix Ngole, a Christian fundamentalist social work student who was expelled from the University of Sheffield for comments he had posted on a public Facebook page and discusses the online responses to an article he wrote. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND FAMILY LAW 2022, VOL. 44, NO. 2, 141–143 https://doi.org/10.1080/09649069.2022.2082822