'First divorce case' after Ashley Madison leak as relationship counsellors offer advice

Charity Relate has received calls from worried members of the public following the leaks Credit: Reuters

Divorce proceedings stemming from the Ashley Madison leaks have been instigated, in the first case of its kind in the UK.

Hackers known as Team Impact stole the details of 37m users of the adulterers' dating site and posted the leaked data online on Tuesday. A further batch was released yesterday.

Family lawyer Nigel Shepherd, a partner at Mills & Reeve law firm, told The Times that a married woman had contacted him for advice after discovering her partner’s details among the leaked accounts.

He said: “If someone finds out if their partner is set up on a site which exists wholly for facilitating adultery, it’s hardly surprising they are taking advice about it.”

The UK's biggest relationship advice charity, Relate, is also offering guidance and support to people affected by the recent hack of the Ashley Madison affairs website and subsequent data leak.

It comes after the charity received calls from worried members of the public to its national phone line.