According to the Guardian, a court heard how 52-year-old Jane Morris quit her job as a recruitment consultant to focus on being a full-time housewife and mother to the couple’s three children. Her husband Peter continued with his career as managing director of a software company, reported to have an annual turnover worth millions. After 20 years, Jane and then-husband Peter made the decision to separate.

The case came to press attention when Peter Morris appealed against the outcome of their initial divorce case, in which he was handed a six-week prison sentence for failing to make maintenance payments and ordered to pay £77,000 to make up his share. This would have left him with nothing from the marriage, which led the couple to the Court of Appeal.

In a headline-making move, a judge ruled to award 90% of the family assets to Jane Morris, giving her £500,000 of the couple’s fortune while Peter Morris was awarded just £66,000. The judge explained that having given up her own career for the sake of her husband, home and children, Mrs Morris now had reduced earning capacity and “rusty skills” – particularly compared to her husband’s larger earning capacity, years of experience and skill-building and also sizeable pension pot.

Extravagant spending and debt led to divorce

A key factor in this case, as in many divorce cases according to relationships service Relate, was money. The Morris family once had family assets worth millions of pounds, which Peter Morris reportedly took credit for due to his business career. The couple lived in a £1.2 million cottage in Chiltern Hills and enjoyed a high standard of living.

However, as the payouts made public in this case show, the family’s fortune had dwindled to the extent that there was less than £600,000 to divide up between the pair by the time they separated. The court had previously heard that the couple’s breakup in 2013 was bitterly contested, and contributed to by extravagant spending, debt and money worries which brought them “to the brink of financial disaster”. Both parties were accusing the other of spending excessively, leading to the disputes in the courts over who was entitled to what when the marriage ended.

Debt, money worries and concerns that a partner is spending too much are all common causes of problems in relationships. These issues put tremendous stress on a marriage, causing arguments and resentful feelings.

If this is a situation you’re currently experiencing and you’ve made the decision to separate, you are likely to need expert legal advice on what you’re entitled to following divorce proceedings. This is especially the case if you have complex financial arrangements or there is a conflict of opinion over the division of family assets, as in the Morris case. If you need advice, get in touch with family law and divorce specialists Tracey Miller.