04/09/2026
The summer holidays have a habit of putting cracks in relationships under a spotlight. If the summer holidays had you quietly wondering about what life might be like outside of your current relationship, here are three financial assumptions about divorce that catch people out.
1: The house always gets split 50/50
Not necessarily. Courts consider needs first, especially where children are involved. The parent with primary care often keeps the family home, at least until the children are grown, with other assets balanced out elsewhere.
2: "I'll keep the house, they can keep the pension"
This sounds like a fair trade on paper. In reality, pensions are often the largest asset in a marriage, larger than the house in many cases, and giving one up without proper advice can leave you significantly worse off in retirement, even if it feels like the simpler option now.
3: If my name isn't on it, it's not mine
Assets built up during a marriage are generally considered shared, regardless of whose name is on the account or the deeds. Equally, being the higher earner doesn't automatically mean walking away with more.
None of this is straightforward, which is exactly why it's worth getting proper advice before agreeing to anything.