Rebecca Tarn, specialist solicitor at Major Family Law, the North East’s best family law firm, states:
According to the Office for National Statistics (Births by Parents’ Characteristics in England and Wales 2014) marriage or civil partnership remains the most common family setting for births in England and Wales.
In 2014 just over half of births occurred within marriage or civil partnership (53%).
Practically all women aged under 20 who gave birth in 2014 were not married or in a civil partnership (96%). However, by contrast, the majority of women aged 30 to 39 giving birth were either married or in a civil partnership.
The proportion of births registered to cohabiting parents has increased by 5% in the last 10 years, a trend which is consistent with the rise of couples cohabiting rather than entering into marriage or civil partnership.
Overall, 84% of births in 2014 were to parents who were married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting.