Divorce Calculator

Yes, you can use this divorce settlement calculator for free.

Sometimes referred to as an alimony calculator, a divorce settlement calculator is used to work out what you could receive if your divorce or dissolution goes ahead. One of the major stresses of divorce revolves around the uncertainty of how finances and assets will be split. A tool like this can help those wanting to end their relationship get a clearer idea of what to expect.

Our free divorce calculator considers multiple factors that will be covered in your financial settlement, including:

• Assets
• Savings
• Pensions
• Equity
• Investments
• Debts and outstanding mortgages

Depending on the circumstances, certain factors may be considered for your financial settlement, resulting in one party receiving a larger share of the matrimonial assets than the other.

These factors include:

• Income
• Financial responsibilities
• Previous financial contributions that benefited the marriage
• Future earning potential
• Standard of living before separation
• Property
• Other financial assets

Our divorce calculator takes many factors into account to build a fuller picture of your personal circumstances. While it may not be entirely reflective of the end result, it can certainly help you gain a much-needed overview to begin the process.

In the UK, divorce settlements are designed to be fair and balanced. The court evaluates each case individually, taking into account several key factors: 

• The duration of the marriage 

• The financial needs and obligations of both parties 

• Contributions made by each spouse, both financial and non-financial (such as childcare or homemaking) 

• Each party’s future earning potential 

• The standard of living enjoyed during the marriage 

The immediate needs of any dependent children are the priority. Followed by the immediate housing needs of both parties. 

Complete a full financial disclosure: this details all the assets owned by the couple both together and individually. Assets can include property, investments, pensions, vehicles and personal property such as jewellery or art. Everything over the value of £500 must be included in the disclosure.

Decide how the assets will be divided: this is where things can get complicated, as couples struggle to agree. In most cases, lawyer-led negotiation or mediation is used to determine how a couple should share their assets. However, for those couples who cannot agree, there is the option of going to the family court. This should be considered a final resort, as it can be a costly and lengthy process.

If a decision can’t be reached with the assistance of lawyers, the court will aim to divide assets fairly and equitably.

This does not necessarily mean that assets will be divided equally; rather, in a way that is deemed fair and just.

The length of the marriage, each spouse’s income and earning potential, and the contributions they made to the marriage are all things the court will consider when making a decision.

When you reach a financial settlement, it is critical that you work with a divorce lawyer to apply to the family court to have it turned into a legally binding consent order. Without this, your ex-partner can potentially make financial claims against you (and vice versa) at a later date, so it’s very important to have a legal order that sets out exactly what you and they are entitled to.

A divorce settlement calculator is a handy first step but it’s important to know that it’s only the start of the journey.

Typically, couples will disagree around decisions based on the family home, spousal maintenance and pensions. If these assets are of high value, this tends to be heightened. For example, military and public-sector pensions tend to be high value and can create controversy at this stage.

For this reason, high-net-worth divorces can be especially tricky when it comes to financial settlements.

When looking at divorce after 1 year of marriage, it can make a difference to what you’re entitled to versus a 20 year marriage.  

While there isn’t a legal definition of a short marriage, it is typically marriages shorter than 5 years that are considered a short marriage. However, the length of the marriage alone doesn’t impact how the marital pot is split. Other variables will be the determining factor.  

A typical question we get is what am I entitled to for a divorce after 1 year? There inevitably will be fewer assets accrued in a 1 year marriage than a marriage which spans 20 years, but what is accrued during a marriage should be shared equally regardless of the marriage’s duration. 

Regardless of the value of the assets to be divided in a divorce or dissolution, a financial settlement will be calculated based on a range of considerations – and a good divorce asset split calculator will consider these to provide a more accurate estimate. These considerations include:

• The welfare of any children under the age of 18
• Income, earning potential, property and other resources of both parties including pensions
• The financial needs, obligations and responsibilities of both parties
• Standard of living
• The age of each party and the duration of marriage
• Contributions to the welfare of the family

Depending on your circumstances, you may want to move quickly to protect your finances when a divorce or dissolution is underway. Some relationships end abruptly or on bad terms. If this applies to you, you might want to take steps to protect your finances during divorce or dissolution.

You might start by contacting your mortgage provider to discuss how you’ll handle the mortgage payments. If you rent, you can contact your landlord to alter the names on your tenancy agreement as appropriate.

You can also contact your bank, credit card and loan providers to explain what is happening. This is important if you have joint accounts. You might want to change how the account operates so that both parties have to agree to it being frozen or to have money withdrawn. It’s sensible to make your decision based on how cooperative your ex-partner is being.

As for other financial assets, things can get a little more complicated, as they cover detailed areas of the law. With the help of a solicitor, you can apply to the court to prevent your ex-partner from selling, transferring or getting rid of assets (perhaps by moving them abroad) if it means you would get an unfair financial settlement.

If you’re at risk of economic abuse, or any other types of domestic abuse, make sure you seek help as soon as possible.

Although this is possible, it isn’t recommended.

Using our divorce settlement calculator alone for guidance won’t help you address more complex issues that could arise when dividing your assets.

Ending a marriage or civil partnership does not stop the other party from claiming money against you unless you secure a clean break order or consent order. This cuts financial ties between couples; however, you should familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions.

Seeking proper legal advice is the only way you can be sure of covering any financial loopholes when a relationship ends.

Pensions come under the category of marital assets during a divorce and are seen as a joint asset. This means that they are subject to division, regardless of who contributed to them.  

All UK based pensions can be shared, saved for the State pension.  Pensions which can be shared, and which we can advise you on, include occupational pensions, public sector schemes and private pensions, as well as self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs). 

Pensions can  be split in a number of ways, including: 

• Pension offsetting 

• Pension sharing  

• Pension attachments  

It depends. Investments and savings amassed while married are typically included in a divorce financial settlement. As a result, it is possible that personal savings will be included in the division of financial assets.

In the UK, divorce settlements are designed to be fair and balanced, rather than automatically favouring one spouse. The exact division granted by the courts will depend on the future needs of both parties and their contributions during the marriage. It is also important to understand that a wife is not automatically entitled to a specific share or asset following divorce. 

However, there are factors that can influence a wife’s claim. They may end up with more than half the assets if she was the main caregiver for the children, causing her to have a lower earning capacity while she took a career break to raise the children. It also means she may end up with a larger share of equity in the home so she can provide a home for the children.  

Gender has no bearing on divorce financial settlements.

Instead, the circumstances of each individual are considered and the factors that determine a divorce are applied to both parties. The outcome will depend on what is viewed as fair for all involved.

Our divorce settlement calculator does not use gender as a determining factor.

This is entirely dependent on the facts of the divorce. Based on each party’s resources and earning potential, as well as a variety of other elements such as the welfare of any children, a 60-40 split of marital assets has the potential to be a fair outcome for some divorcing couples.

No. It is a common misconception that matrimonial assets are always split 50/50 during divorce financial settlements. In some divorces, one party may receive a larger proportion of the matrimonial assets than the other to achieve a fair outcome and ensure provisions for any children.

While a 50/50 split is typically the starting point for most divorce financial settlements, every divorce is unique and the reality is that what you are entitled to upon divorce will be dependent on a range of different factors.

This means that, to reach a fair settlement, it is possible for one party to have a greater share of the matrimonial assets.