A BUSINESS in Newquay that began life at a kitchen table five years ago has won a prestigious national legal award.

Easy Online Divorce, founded by entrepreneur James Brien, has been named Alternative Legal Service Provider of the Year at the 2025 British Legal Awards, which is widely regarded as the “Oscars of the legal industry.”

The business beat global firms including DLA Piper, Herbert Smith Freehills, and Latham & Watkins to the award. Judges praised Easy Online Divorce for transforming the way families experience separation and for delivering faster, more affordable access to justice.

Easy Online Divorce has helped more than 15,000 people, saved clients an estimated £8.7 million in legal fees since launching in 2020. The business achieved an average completion time of just over seven months for divorces and financial orders combined compared to the 69-week national average reported in the latest Family Court Statistics.

The award was presented in London by TV presenter Davina McCall. Mr Brien said winning the accolade was “beyond anything he ever imagined” when he first set up the business.

Mr Brien said: “To go from starting this at my kitchen table in Newquay to winning a national legal award against some of the biggest law firms in the world is surreal.

“But what makes me proudest is what it means for families. We’ve shown there is a faster, fairer, more affordable way to go through divorce — and that innovation can happen right here in Cornwall.”

Easy Online Divorce is also the only national online divorce service regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), setting a benchmark for transparency and legal integrity in an industry often criticised for unregulated practices.

Mr Brien added: “This award belongs to the whole team here in Newquay. We’re proving that Cornwall isn’t just a great place to live — it’s a place where world-class businesses can be built.”