The Family Home
For many couples, the family home is one of their largest financial assets.
Common questions include:
- Does the house need to be sold?
- Can one spouse remain in the property?
- Can ownership be transferred?
- Who will continue paying the mortgage?
- What happens if only one spouse legally owns the property?
- How will children’s housing requirements be considered?
There is no automatic outcome that applies to every divorce.
Possible arrangements may include:
- Selling the property
- Transferring ownership
- Refinancing
- One spouse remaining in the home
- Considering the property’s value alongside pensions or other assets
Our Peterborough divorce solicitors can advise on the home as part of your wider financial settlement.
Savings and Investments
Relevant financial assets may include:
- Bank accounts
- ISAs
- Shares
- Bonds
- Investment funds
- Managed portfolios
- Employee share arrangements
- Other investments
Full and accurate disclosure can help establish the overall financial position before settlement negotiations progress.
Pensions
Pensions can represent a significant part of family wealth and should be considered alongside property, savings and investments.
Relevant pension arrangements can include:
- Workplace pensions
- Personal pensions
- Defined benefit schemes
- Defined contribution schemes
- Executive pensions
- Other retirement benefits
Where pension arrangements are valuable or complicated, specialist pension or actuarial advice may sometimes be appropriate.
Business Assets
A divorce settlement can become more complicated where one or both spouses own a business, hold company shares or receive income through a company structure.
Relevant matters may include:
- Limited companies
- Partnerships
- Owner-managed businesses
- Company shares
- Commercial premises
- Warehouses or industrial property
- Director remuneration
- Dividends
- Retained profits
- Business valuations
Peterborough continues to experience significant economic and employment growth. Peterborough City Council reported in February 2026 that the city’s jobs market grew by 23.9% between 2014 and 2024, while the city also ranked highly for business numbers relative to population.
For business owners and company directors, divorce financial disclosure may therefore need to consider both the underlying value of a business and the income it generates.
Where value or income is disputed, independent accountancy or business valuation evidence may sometimes be appropriate.
Spousal Maintenance
Some financial settlements involve ongoing financial support from one former spouse to another.
Whether maintenance is appropriate depends on the individual circumstances, including:
- Income
- Financial needs
- Earning capacity
- Housing requirements
- Other financial resources
- The wider settlement
Our solicitors can explain how spousal maintenance may fit within your overall financial arrangements.
Consent Orders
If you and your former spouse agree how finances should be divided, a consent order can provide greater legal certainty.
It can address:
- Property
- Pensions
- Savings
- Investments
- Maintenance
Without a legally binding agreement, the court cannot enforce an informal financial arrangement in the same way if a dispute arises later.