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Divorce over World Cup

Divorce lawyers are preparing for a busy time as relationships break up under the strain of a partner following England’s World Cup campaign.

Divorce lawyers are preparing for a busy time as relationships break up under the strain of a partner following England’s World Cup campaign.

A study by Pannone, one of Britain’s largest law firms, has shown there was a significant increase in couples seeking divorce in the fortnight after the last two tournaments.

The firm expects that the tournament in South Africa, which begins on June 11, will be the last straw for some wives, many of whom resent their husbands watching television for hours rather than devoting their time to the family, or running up large bills following the team abroad.

Andrew Newbury, a partner at Pannone, said: “Following the last two World Cups, there was a marked increase in couples contacting us either to start divorce proceedings or to ask about doing so.”

Lin Griffiths, a therapist with Relate for Parents and Families, suggested that the tournament could exacerbate existing strains.

Relationships went through “pinch points” that could simply be petty resentments but could build up to a crisis. “It only takes something like the World Cup to come along with all the passion and attention it attracts to bring the marriage to crunch point,” she said.

This article from the Times Online.