How to Approach Your Divorce
by Tamsin Caine
Divorce is never easy. For high net worth couples, the stakes are often even higher — not just financially, but emotionally and reputationally. Whether you are the main earning spouse or the lower or non-earning spouse, the process can feel daunting in very different ways.
The truth is, both sides face challenges and uncertainties. The best outcomes come when each person understands their rights, their responsibilities, and the steps they can take to create a fair and sustainable financial future.
This isn’t about “winning” or “losing” — it’s about making informed decisions that allow both people to move forward with stability and dignity.
If You Are the Main Earning Spouse
As the main earner, you may feel you’ve worked hard to build your wealth and are concerned about what you might lose. You might be anxious about the division of assets, the impact on your business or investments, and whether you’ll be able to maintain your current lifestyle.
Common concerns for the main earning spouse:
- Asset division – Understanding which assets are considered marital property and how they may be shared.
- Business protection – Ensuring a company you’ve built remains viable and protected from unnecessary disruption.
- Ongoing commitments – Clarity around maintenance, school fees, and other continuing financial responsibilities.
- Privacy – Minimising the risk of sensitive financial information becoming public in court proceedings.
How to approach the process:
- Get a clear picture of your assets early
- Be transparent
- Protect your business
- Consider tax implications
- Look beyond the settlement figure
If You Are the Lower or Non-Earning Spouse
If you’ve contributed to the marriage in non-financial ways — raising children, managing the household, supporting your partner’s career — you may worry about your financial future. You might feel out of your depth when faced with complex assets or business structures, especially if you haven’t been directly involved in managing the money.
Common concerns for the lower or non-earning spouse:
- Understanding the finances
- Securing fair provision
- Building financial confidence
- Maintaining lifestyle stability
How to approach the process:
- Insist on full disclosure
- Value everything properly
- Focus on your future needs
- Build your financial knowledge
- Plan for independence
Shared Principles — Whatever Your Position
- Seek expert advice early
- Be realistic but fair
- Stay future-focused
- Protect your privacy
Moving Forward With Clarity and Confidence
Divorce is a major life transition. For high net worth couples, it’s also a complex financial event that needs careful management.
If you are the main earning spouse, your focus may be on protecting what you’ve built and ensuring fair provision without compromising your business or future security. If you are the lower or non-earning spouse, your priority may be understanding the finances, securing stability, and gaining financial independence.
In both cases, working with the right professionals — solicitors, financial planners, tax specialists, divorce coaches or therapists — will give you the clarity, strategy, and confidence to navigate the process and start the next chapter of your life from a position of strength.
Tamsin Caine
Tamsin is a Chartered Financial Planner with over 20 years experience. She works with couples and individuals who are at the end of a relationship and want agree how to divide their assets FAIRLY without a fight.
You can contact Tamsin at tamsin@smartdivorce.co.uk or arrange a free initial meeting using https://bit.ly/SmDiv15min. She is also part of the team running Facebook group Separation, Divorce and Dissolution UK
Tamsin Caine MSc., FPFS
Chartered Financial Planner
Smart Divorce Ltd
https://smartdivorce.co.uk
P.S. I am the co-author of “My Divorce Handbook – It’s What You Do Next That Counts”, written by divorce specialists and lawyers writing about their area of expertise to help walk you through the divorce process. You can buy it here https://yourdivorcehandbook.co.uk/buy-the-book