{"id":384,"date":"2022-11-16T12:53:48","date_gmt":"2022-11-16T12:53:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.dawsoncornwell.com\/?post_type=legal_service&#038;p=384"},"modified":"2026-05-12T12:50:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T11:50:36","slug":"divorce-financial-settlements","status":"publish","type":"legal_service","link":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/cn\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/","title":{"rendered":"Divorce Financial Settlements"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A divorce financial settlement is an arrangement under which a couple\u2019s assets and financial affairs are separated upon divorce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On a divorce, nullity, judicial separation and dissolution of civil partnership, the court has power to make an order for financial settlement. The court does not have power to make a capital order or a final financial order until either Decree Nisi (pre 6 April 2022 divorce applications) or Conditional Order (post 6 April 2022) has been pronounced, but can make an order for interim maintenance with effect from the date of the divorce application. See our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/cn\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/spousal-maintenance\/\">Spousal Maintenance<\/a>&nbsp;page for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1670490198691\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Why do I need a court order?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">It is fundamental that any financial settlement following divorce is recorded in an order of the court otherwise financial claims could be brought against you years after your divorce. There is no time limit on making such a claim. It is only with a binding court order setting out the arrangements and dismissing each party\u2019s respective claim that you can achieve finality between you and your spouse. The court order can be obtained either by consent, by negotiation between solicitors, mediation or the collaborative process, or following a contested trial.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1670490213064\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>How long will it take to get my financial settlement?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">If you and your spouse are in agreement, the court can approve the terms of a consent order at the same time as the conditional order\/decree nisi is made although it will not take effect until the final order of divorce\/decree absolute. This process normally takes between 6 and 8 months from start to finish, as court lead times are currently longer than they used to be. If however you are not in agreement, and particularly if your spouse is not willing to disclose their financial position, then it can take much longer; at least 12 to 18 months or more.<br>\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Full and frank disclosure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In order to assess what is a fair settlement, it is necessary first to compute the value of the parties&#8217; assets and income.  Both<em> <\/em>parties are subject to a duty to provide full and frank financial disclosure and if there are concerns about non-disclosure, an<em> <\/em>exercise to identify undisclosed assets can be undertaken (see\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/cn\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/investigating-hidden-assets\/\">Investigating hidden assets<\/a>). It is only when the assets and income have been ascertained and their values agreed that it is possible for the couple to reach a settlement or for the court to determine the claim. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1670490260690\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What orders can the court make?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">The court has power to make orders for a spouse including:<br>\u2022\u00a0Periodical payments (maintenance or alimony)<br>\u2022\u00a0Secured provision (maintenance that is charged against an asset)<br>\u2022\u00a0Lump sum (a cash payment)<br>\u2022\u00a0Transfer of property (where one legal ownership of an asset is taken away from one spouse and transferred to the other)<br>\u2022\u00a0A pension attachment and a pension sharing order except upon decree of judicial separation (see\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/cn\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/pensions\/\">Pensions<\/a>)<br>\u2022 Agreed child maintenance orders, school fees orders and\/or top up orders where there is a maximum Child     Maintenance Service assessment. See our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/cn\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/child-maintenance-and-child-support\/\">Child Maintenance or child support<\/a>\u00a0page for more information.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1670490277063\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What principles will govern my financial settlement?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">We do not have community of property in our jurisdiction. By being married, a person does not automatically acquire an interest in their spouse\u2019s assets or vice versa. Neither do we have a codified system for the division of assets and income on divorce as some jurisdictions do. \u00a0The system in England &amp; Wales is discretionary.<br\/>The law in England &amp; Wales sets out certain criteria which must be taken into account when formulating a financial settlement. How those criteria are applied, varies according to the circumstances of each case and upon the development of case law. The court must balance the criteria when assessing the claims of each spouse.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The needs approach<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In cases where the family\u2019s resources do not satisfy both spouses\u2019 needs, then the needs of the economically weaker spouse (often the parent with whom the children are going to live) is usually given priority in terms of the allocation of resources. This is what is called the needs approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The presumption of equality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the case of long marriages, where there is a surplus of assets, the courts have moved away from the needs approach toward a proposition of equal division based on contribution. This approach emerged out of an important case called White and has since been developed further in more recent cases. A court can diverge from equality by reference to the needs approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1670490298830\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What will my financial settlement include?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Most divorce settlements comprise three main elements; periodical payments (maintenance or alimony), capital orders (lump sum and\/or transfer of property) and long term security (pension attachment and pension sharing orders, provision of life insurance).<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1670490314084\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What is a Clean Break?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">In some cases, all three elements are bound together in a one-off settlement. This is commonly referred to as a \u201cclean break\u201d.\u00a0 However, clean break settlements are normally only appropriate where there isn\u2019t an established culture of dependence (for example a short, childless marriage involving a young couple) or, in high net worth cases, where the couple\u2019s resources exceed their needs.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1670490326409\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>How will my settlement be achieved?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Most cases are settled by negotiation between the couple and their lawyers. Some are settled by trial in front of a judge. However, it is normal to issue court proceeding about finances to make use of the court procedure. This allows the couple to have the court\u2019s assistance in structuring the negotiations and the exchange of relevant information and valuations. Even when the parties agree, a short hearing is sometimes necessary to ask the court to approve the settlement and make a court order in the agreed terms.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why do I need a solicitor and why Dawson Cornwell?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you don\u2019t have a solicitor to advise you, you may not know what provision you are entitled to and mistakes could be made in the drafting of your court order, leaving you exposed to further disputes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team at Dawson Cornwell is experienced in negotiating settlements for clients and doing so cost effectively.\u00a0 No two settlements are the same and identifying and crafting a solution for an individual client is a combination of legal expertise, judgement, and strategy. We also offer litigation expertise if you need to resolve matters through the court system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We offer\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/cn\/legal-services\/alternative-dispute-resolution\/mediation\/\">mediation<\/a>. Our mediator is the highly respected\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/cn\/the-team\/jessica-reid\/\">Jessica Reid<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition, we provide\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/cn\/legal-services\/alternative-dispute-resolution\/collaborative-law\/\">collaborative law<\/a>.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/cn\/the-team\/simon-bruce\/\">Simon Bruce<\/a>\u00a0is an experienced collaborative lawyer. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A divorce financial settlement is an arrangement under which a couple\u2019s assets and financial affairs are&hellip;","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":380,"menu_order":1,"template":"","class_list":["post-384","legal_service","type-legal_service","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Divorce Financial Settlements &#8226; Financial Claims &#8226; Dawson Cornwell &#8226; Family Solicitors<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A divorce financial settlement is an arrangement under which a couple\u2019s assets and financial affairs are separated upon divorce. 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This process normally takes between 6 and 8 months from start to finish, as court lead times are currently longer than they used to be. 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On a divorce, nullity,","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/cn\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/","og_locale":"zh_CN","og_type":"article","og_title":"Divorce Financial Settlements &#8226; Financial Claims &#8226; Dawson Cornwell &#8226; Family Solicitors","og_description":"A divorce financial settlement is an arrangement under which a couple\u2019s assets and financial affairs are separated upon divorce. On a divorce, nullity,","og_url":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/cn\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/","og_site_name":"Dawson Cornwell","article_modified_time":"2026-05-12T11:50:36+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"\u9884\u8ba1\u9605\u8bfb\u65f6\u95f4":"5 \u5206"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":["WebPage","FAQPage"],"@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/","url":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/","name":"Divorce Financial Settlements &#8226; Financial Claims &#8226; Dawson Cornwell &#8226; Family Solicitors","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2022-11-16T12:53:48+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-12T11:50:36+00:00","description":"A divorce financial settlement is an arrangement under which a couple\u2019s assets and financial affairs are separated upon divorce. On a divorce, nullity,","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#breadcrumb"},"mainEntity":[{"@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490198691"},{"@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490213064"},{"@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490260690"},{"@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490277063"},{"@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490298830"},{"@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490314084"},{"@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490326409"}],"inLanguage":"zh-Hans","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Financial Claims","item":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Divorce Financial Settlements"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/","name":"Dawson Cornwell","description":"Family Solicitors","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"zh-Hans"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/#organization","name":"Dawson Cornwell","url":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"zh-Hans","@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/dawson-cornwell-logo-2024.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/dawson-cornwell-logo-2024.svg","caption":"Dawson Cornwell"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490198691","position":1,"url":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490198691","name":"Why do I need a court order?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"It is fundamental that any financial settlement following divorce is recorded in an order of the court otherwise financial claims could be brought against you years after your divorce. There is no time limit on making such a claim. It is only with a binding court order setting out the arrangements and dismissing each party\u2019s respective claim that you can achieve finality between you and your spouse. The court order can be obtained either by consent, by negotiation between solicitors, mediation or the collaborative process, or following a contested trial.","inLanguage":"zh-Hans"},"inLanguage":"zh-Hans"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490213064","position":2,"url":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490213064","name":"How long will it take to get my financial settlement?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"If you and your spouse are in agreement, the court can approve the terms of a consent order at the same time as the conditional order\/decree nisi is made although it will not take effect until the final order of divorce\/decree absolute. This process normally takes between 6 and 8 months from start to finish, as court lead times are currently longer than they used to be. If however you are not in agreement, and particularly if your spouse is not willing to disclose their financial position, then it can take much longer; at least 12 to 18 months or more.<br>\u00a0","inLanguage":"zh-Hans"},"inLanguage":"zh-Hans"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490260690","position":3,"url":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490260690","name":"What orders can the court make?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The court has power to make orders for a spouse including:<br>\u2022\u00a0Periodical payments (maintenance or alimony)<br>\u2022\u00a0Secured provision (maintenance that is charged against an asset)<br>\u2022\u00a0Lump sum (a cash payment)<br>\u2022\u00a0Transfer of property (where one legal ownership of an asset is taken away from one spouse and transferred to the other)<br>\u2022\u00a0A pension attachment and a pension sharing order except upon decree of judicial separation (see\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/pensions\/\">Pensions<\/a>)<br>\u2022 Agreed child maintenance orders, school fees orders and\/or top up orders where there is a maximum Child     Maintenance Service assessment. See our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/child-maintenance-and-child-support\/\">Child Maintenance or child support<\/a>\u00a0page for more information.","inLanguage":"zh-Hans"},"inLanguage":"zh-Hans"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490277063","position":4,"url":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490277063","name":"What principles will govern my financial settlement?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"We do not have community of property in our jurisdiction. By being married, a person does not automatically acquire an interest in their spouse\u2019s assets or vice versa. Neither do we have a codified system for the division of assets and income on divorce as some jurisdictions do. \u00a0The system in England &amp; Wales is discretionary.<br\/>The law in England &amp; Wales sets out certain criteria which must be taken into account when formulating a financial settlement. How those criteria are applied, varies according to the circumstances of each case and upon the development of case law. The court must balance the criteria when assessing the claims of each spouse.","inLanguage":"zh-Hans"},"inLanguage":"zh-Hans"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490298830","position":5,"url":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490298830","name":"What will my financial settlement include?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Most divorce settlements comprise three main elements; periodical payments (maintenance or alimony), capital orders (lump sum and\/or transfer of property) and long term security (pension attachment and pension sharing orders, provision of life insurance).","inLanguage":"zh-Hans"},"inLanguage":"zh-Hans"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490314084","position":6,"url":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490314084","name":"What is a Clean Break?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"In some cases, all three elements are bound together in a one-off settlement. This is commonly referred to as a \u201cclean break\u201d.\u00a0 However, clean break settlements are normally only appropriate where there isn\u2019t an established culture of dependence (for example a short, childless marriage involving a young couple) or, in high net worth cases, where the couple\u2019s resources exceed their needs.","inLanguage":"zh-Hans"},"inLanguage":"zh-Hans"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490326409","position":7,"url":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/legal-services\/financial-claims\/divorce-financial-settlements\/#faq-question-1670490326409","name":"How will my settlement be achieved?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Most cases are settled by negotiation between the couple and their lawyers. Some are settled by trial in front of a judge. However, it is normal to issue court proceeding about finances to make use of the court procedure. This allows the couple to have the court\u2019s assistance in structuring the negotiations and the exchange of relevant information and valuations. Even when the parties agree, a short hearing is sometimes necessary to ask the court to approve the settlement and make a court order in the agreed terms.","inLanguage":"zh-Hans"},"inLanguage":"zh-Hans"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/legal_service\/384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/legal_service"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/legal_service"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/legal_service\/384\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4972,"href":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/legal_service\/384\/revisions\/4972"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/legal_service\/380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dawsoncornwell.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}