Gay adoption applications are on the rise in Britain, while applications from heterosexual couples are falling, according to a report.

“Last year, one in seven adoption orders was made by a gay couple,” reported the Independent on Thursday. “Wilsons, a private law firm that analysed the figures, noted that the number of gay couples applying for adoption increased from 510 in 2013-2014 to 586 last year.”

Meanwhile, the Independent noted that the number of applications from heterosexual couples “has fallen from 4,914 to 3,561.”

“The door has really opened now for all kinds of individuals to start their own family. Same-sex adoptions are at a record high, and it may be that the legalisation of gay marriage in 2013 has been a catalyst for more same sex couples to adopt,” declared Wilsons associate lawyer Sarah Wood-Heath, who added that medical breakthroughs could be the reason for a decline in adoption applications from heterosexuals.

“Medical advances have meant that alternative birthing options such as surrogacy or IVF are increasingly attractive for many heterosexual couples – there are now so many options for anyone to have a child,” she explained.

Gay couples have been able to adopt in Britain since 2002, while, “Both partners have rights to joint legal parenting since 2005.”

Charlie Nash covers technology and LGBT news for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @MrNashington and Gab @Nash, or like his page at Facebook.