Proposals to change divorce laws in Northern Ireland have been published by the government's Office of Law Reform.

The paper is aimed at making the 20-year-old legislation surrounding marriage breakdown less confrontational.

It aims to concentrate more on the rights of children whose parents split up.

Around 2,500 people divorce in Northern Ireland each year - less than a quarter of the number of people divorcing in England and Wales.

The highest number of breakdowns occur between five and nine years of marriage.

Series of recommendations



The Office of Law Reform, which is based in Belfast, made the series of recommendations based on research carried out by experts from the province's two main universities.

Generally their verdict on the current system was positive, but they recommended that more should be done to improve the courts' involvement.

They also said that much more information about the whole process should be made available to couples whose marriage was breaking down.

Judena Goldring, the director of the Office of Law Reform and leader of the Women's Coalition, Monica McWilliams were both involved in producing the report.

'Distinctive pattern'

Ms Goldring said a "distinctive pattern" of separations and divorces had emerged in Northern Ireland.

"People are generally content with the service being provided by legal advisors," she added.

Ms McWilliams said that people were being given the opportunity to comment on proposed changes.

"It may be the case that there will be people who have views on the length of time it takes, whether it should be in the courts, or whether they wish postal divorce to operate," she said.