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Last Wednesday, the Coalition Government announced the completion of an online application designed to help couples going through divorce or separation, prompting criticism from several ministers. According to the Daily Mail, ministers, including former children’s minister Tim Loughton, have claimed that the app undermine Tory promises to promote and protect marriage – policies that they feel played a key role in their ascension to Government. Loughton even called for Chancellor George Osborne to announce tax breaks for married couples in his Autumn Statement; though this did not materialise. The key question here is whether or not any of this criticism is defensible. Do the ministers in question genuinely believe that the introduction of this resource will undermine the institution of marriage, or are they attempting to appease traditionalists whose votes will be key come the next general election? Having reviewed the relevant material, Quickie Divorce believes the latter to be true. The app, fittingly titled ‘Sorting out Separation,’ has the potential to be an extremely useful resource for couples that find themselves going their separate ways, particularly if children are involved. The app offers couples advice on financial matters, housing arrangements and legal matters as well as post-separation parenting. Ultimately, placing all of this information on one site seems to be a pretty good idea – so why has its introduction been met with such vehement criticism. Answering this question is a relatively simple task: there are still individuals who feel that the introduction of such materials encourage divorce. The fact that this resource has been created in order to reduce the negative impact of divorce and separation is something that the individuals who chose to criticise the app will be fully aware, of course, but the need to appease a portion of the voting population – individuals who many would deem to be traditional conservatives – is still palpable. In conclusion, ‘Sorting out Separation’ is a useful tool for separating and divorcing spouses and any criticism of it unwarranted. Click here for more advice on divorce and separation.