Divorce and separation during the pandemic

Money Box

BBC

Business

4.2 • 804 Ratings

🗓️ 7 April 2021

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

There’s been a rise in the number of divorces according to the Office for National Statistics along with predictions that even more couples will split as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

Many law firms are reporting huge spikes in the number of separations during the pandemic.

Plans for new “no fault” divorce rules are due to come in in the next few months and will abolish the need to blame one of the parties when pursuing a divorce.

But what happens to the finances during all of this? What if a couple weren’t married or owned some assets before the marriage?

Presenter Louise Cooper will be joined by:

Rhona Adams, partner at Morton Fraser and head of the family law team Claire Gordon, family law partner at Farrer & Co Michael Royce, senior policy and propositions manager at the Money and Pensions Service

E-mail [email protected] or tweet @Moneybox now with your thoughts, questions and experiences.

Producer: Darin Graham Editor: Richard Vadon

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're about to listen to a BBC podcast, but this is about something else you might enjoy.
0:05.4	My name's Katie Lecky and I'm an assistant commissioner for on demand music on BBC Sounds.
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0:35.0	check out BBC Sounds.
0:41.2	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:46.3	Welcome to this episode of Moneybox Live, the programme about your money.
0:54.1	Money worries are often a factor in divorce and the last year has been financially devastating for millions of families.
0:54.9	Add in forced time together, stuck at home, working from home, educating children at home.
1:00.4	And there are many COVID-related reasons why the number of divorces in England and Wales has soared.
1:06.9	And in autumn, the law changes to allow for no fault, far simpler and quicker divorces that may lead to a further rise in the number of breakups.
1:15.7	So if lockdown has contributed to your marriage breakdown and you're worried about your financial implications, then please get in touch.
1:24.7	Email moneybox at BBC.co.uk. Well, joining us now is Jen. Welcome, Jen. Welcome to Moneybox
1:32.4	Live. Hi. Thank you for having me. A pleasure. Now, you're currently going through a separation,
1:40.0	starting to think about the eventual financial settlement.
1:45.2	So first of all, how has COVID impacted your earnings over the last year?
1:53.5	I mean, they've flipped them upside down completely.
1:57.7	You know, even having gone through the crash, you know, back in 2008, around 2010, this is something
2:03.4	that I couldn't have ever anticipated. So have you been without work? Are you now working?
2:11.6	Luckily, I am now working, but I spent about half of the year, last year, being unemployed,
	...

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