Financial Matters

Financial Advice on Breakdown of Relationships

When deciding on what financial orders to make, the following are some issues which are considered:

• The length of the marriage. If it was a short marriage you may receive less from your partner.
• You and your partner's age. If you are still of working age then you have a better chance of earning income in the future.
• You and your partner's needs, for example you may have enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle and seek to be maintained in a similar lifestyle after the divorce.
• You and your partner's earning capacity. If your partner has a chance to earn more than you in the future, you may need more help than your partner.

These are just some of the issues that will be considered when deciding whether to transfer ownership of the property, sell the property, make orders for maintenance or lump sum payments.

Maintenance

You can apply for maintenance for yourself, you may want the money to be paid weekly or monthly or you may just want to receive a one-off payment in a lump sum. If you and your partner do not want to be tied to each other financially in the future you might want a 'clean break'. For this you have to ask the court to settle financial matters once and for all.

Next Page |

The articles on legal topics published in these pages are for interest only and are necessarily general in their terms. You should not act (or refrain from acting) on the basis of the information given without specific advice, as the principles and laws concerned may change, and their application will vary according to the particular circumstances.