Against a background of falling marriage and rising divorce rates the Family Law Act 1996, which is expected to be fully implemented by October 1997, revises current divorce law (National Children’s Bureau 1996. Highlight No 146). The act introduces two new court orders, the divorce order which will replace the decreesnisi and absolute, and the separation order which will replace the decree of judicial separation. There will be a ‘period for reflection and consideration’ lasting nine months (15 months if there are children under 16) before an application for either order may be made and this period can be extended for six months on request. Three conditions need to be satisfied before an order may be granted; the marriage must have broken down irretrievably (in the opinion of either party), there must have been an ‘information meeting’, and future arrangements must have been decided. At the ‘information meeting’ the couple will be given information about marriage support services, mediation, finance and legal matters, and the importance of the children’s views and welfare, and ways of helping them. The act repeats certain provisions of the Children Act 1989 with regard to the welfare of the children. It also updates …