Lawyer divorces wrong couple through dropdown selection error

Why? This was an administration error. The fact that the decree was acted upon incorrectly doesn't invalidate the decree itself, which says "These two people should get divorced". If the firm needs an additional decree so that they can divorce the right people (e.g. because the original decree has been executed and is no longer valid), then that's what they can ask the judge for.

Otherwise, the victims in this case have the UK tort system available to them to seek a remedy for any damages they may have suffered. They can also just get re-married and ask the firm to cover those associated costs.

I am with the High Court judge on this one. There was no procedural flaw in the process; it was purely the mistake of the lawyer. The system should not be blamed, when the lawyer could have acted carefully. Hundreds of divorces can proceed a day without issue; why is one fatal mistake by one lawyer suddenly cause to blame the system entirely?

And let's not be mistaken - the lawyer was negligent. Observe the grandstanding of the boss, however:

> Vardag said: 'The young lawyer who made the slip with the drop down menu on the new divorce portal is one of the best of the next generation. Not sloppy, not careless. Totally committed, extremely able. That young lawyer, our brilliant young lawyer, genuinely needs support to deal with the trauma of it all.

...Is all that posturing necessary? "...one of the best of the next generation", really? A "brilliant" lawyer making this sort of mistake, which could have been avoided had the lawyer actually paid attention?

If the junior was mistaken, there is no need for this sort of grandstanding. Negligence need not to be glossed over, or made as if it was not.