Legal News

New figures from EU data agency Eurostat based on the 2011 Census show that the UK has the highest number of single-parent families out of Western European countries, with one in five families now headed up by a lone parent.

The Daily Mail reports that 18.4% of UK families have just one parent in the household, compared with 14.4% of family households in France, 12.7% in Germany and 10.6% in the Netherlands.

Belgium is considered the nearest comparable country to the UK for single parents – Belgium’s current ratio of lone-parent families is 16.1% of families.

In Ireland, the figure is closer to the UK, with Ireland having a total of 18.1% of families comprising solo parents.

However, former communist bloc countries in eastern Europe have the highest incidence of single-parent families across the EU, with the top 20 countries for single-parent families being either in Eastern Europe or in France’s overseas departments in the Indian Ocean and Caribbean.

In the UK, there has been controversy over the amount of child benefits being sent to some Eastern European EU member states, as a result of workers in Britain who have families at home in their native countries.

However, Eurostat analysts say that social issues in former communist bloc countries in Eastern Europe may underpin the number of lone-parent families – including high incidences of alcoholism in some Eastern European communities.

Former communist Eastern bloc countries also lack support for the family unit in many countries.

In the UK, recent research has shown that 16-year-olds are more likely to own a smartphone (62%) than live with both parents (57%).

Family researcher and author Patricia Morgan said:

“It is deplorable that we now find ourselves in the same situation as Eastern European countries.”

Out of all EU cities, the UK also comes top in the number of cities which have the highest incidence of single parents, with 34.6% of families in Belfast having a lone parent – as well as 31.5% in Liverpool, 31% in Glasgow, 30.7% in east London and 26.9% in Birmingham.

Children with two parents are usually healthier and perform better academically, child health studies have found. However, although divorce figures in the UK have fallen in recent years, the number of co-habiting parents separating is increasing and is four times higher than the rate of separation for married couples.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics estimate that in 2013, there were 1.9 million lone parent families in England and Wales, with children of school age or younger.

Duncan Lewis Children Lawyers

Duncan Lewis children lawyers are a leading provider of Legal Aid family law advice – and are able to advise on child contact and residence, children taken into Local Authority care, care proceedings and Court of Protection proceedings.

Duncan Lewis children lawyers offer legal advice on family law and childcare under UK law and Islamic law, including:

• Child abuse
• Domestic violence
• International child abduction
• Co-habiting agreements
• Divorce
• Judicial separation
• International marriage
• Pre-nups
• Wills and trusts.

For expert legal advice on family law and childcare call Duncan Lewis children lawyers on 020 7923 4020.