Divorce applications hit record levels for the second year in succession in 2021, according to new data published by the Courts Service.

Some 5,856 divorce applications were filed last year, an 11pc increase on the previous record of 5,220 set in 2020.

While the vast majority of applications were made in the Circuit Court, 48 “big money” divorce cases, dealing with assets worth more than €3m, were filed in the High Court.

This figure is the highest since the Celtic Tiger years when a record 53 applications were made at High Court level in 2003. Back then the threshold for a High Court divorce case was just €1m.

The data is contained in the Court Service’s annual report for 2021.