Divorce law changes make it easier to share assets

Wednesday 14th January 2009, 2:29PM GMT.

FAMILY law changes should make it easier to share assets fairly when couples divorce.

The adjustments are detailed in this month’s Billet and have been welcomed by the Guernsey Family Bar Association, according to its co-chair, Davey Le Marquand (pictured).

He said the changes would give judges a wider range of options, which could benefit any children involved and ‘ensure that justice can be done in any case’.

If the changes are approved, they will give judges the power to transfer property to a wider range of parties, including children, and would solve problems with dividing pensions fairly.

Guernsey divorce proceedings currently rely on part of the 1939 Matrimonial Causes Law, which has been amended but which is still not up to date compared with more-recent English legislation.

Advocate Le Marquand said using that law had already caused difficulties.

‘In the past it has been very unclear how to apply the law in the case of splitting pensions.’

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John

January 14, 2009 at 7:22 pm

I’m assuming this move will benefit women more than men ? Men alwayscome off a lot worse when splitting – they have to pay out loads to the ex-wife, pay ridiculous amounts per month for so called child maintenance, which if you took the man’s share to represent 50% of the cost for brining up a child each month then it becomes obvious that it isn’t just for the child it mostly goes to the ex.
When it comes to splitting pensions – I take it this is only aimed at splitting the man’s pension and not the other way round ?

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