Why 50/50 is not always fair

Divorce Notes · Oct 27, 2026 · 7m

Have you been told your finances have to be split fifty fifty, or that you're not entitled to anything because you didn't contribute financially?

I hear this all the time, from your ex, from family and friends, from what you read online, and it's rarely looked at in detail. In this note I tell you what the law in England and Wales actually says about equal sharing, as a former family lawyer who has been through her own divorce.

I go through what counts as your marital pot, including the things you may have been told are his, and the factors that decide what's fair for you and your children…