Contrary to the impression given by divorces covered in the media<\/a>, most do not entail couples sharing vast amounts of wealth and spending huge sums on legal proceedings.<\/p>\n The Fair Shares Project is the first nationally representative study<\/a> to examine the financial arrangements of divorcing couples in England and Wales. Our team\u2019s new report<\/a> shows that most couples have very modest levels of assets to divide. In fact, 17% of divorcees in our survey had no assets at all, while 23% ended up with nothing or only debts following their divorce.<\/p>\n Divorce is a financial shock that ex-spouses \u2013 and their children \u2013 have to cope with as they adjust to living in two households. That shock can be particularly hard and long-lasting for older women, and women who have children.<\/p>\n The study, which one of us (Emma) led and was funded by the Nuffield Foundation, surveyed 2,415 people who had divorced up to five years previously, and interviewed 53 recent divorcees.<\/p>\n Couples may have less wealth to divide than you think: 28% of divorcees in our study had been living in rented accommodation and so, other than their pension, had very little by way of any capital to divide. It is not surprising, then, that 21% ended up with an amount less than \u00a325,000.<\/p>\n The median net value of the assets, including property and pensions, that divorcing couples owned when they divorced was \u00a3135,000 – including those who had nothing or only debts. More than a quarter (28%) had assets below \u00a3100,000, while only 9% had over \u00a31 million at their disposal.<\/p>\nNot much to share<\/h2>\n
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