Divorce

I have been through a divorce. It was not fun. On a couple of occasions in the past I have assisted clients in the process of getting divorced to reduce the trauma but above all to attempt to produce a financial result that was “fair” (in whose mind?) and a separation that was practical.

The first client I ever helped was the lady to whom I have now been married for 36 years. Because her husband at the time was a mate of mine (and, in a manner of speaking still is) the question occasionally arises that I could have got a much better deal for her.

In my opinion a better deal is not just measured in dollars!

When I graduated with an LLB after working as an accountant for almost 30 years, a solicitor who I approached for advice about what to do with this newly acquired qualification said that he could keep me going full-time providing financial advice to his divorcing clients - so that they could win in financial terms.

I rejected that concept because I believed passionately, after my own experience, that the Family Court is not like a tennis court where a game is played to decide who wins.

I wish the legal profession, especially those practicing Family Law, shared my views. The concept of “no fault” divorce has been law since the Whitlam years.

Unfortunately human nature being as it is, the “no fault” divorce does give a great number of very faulty people the opportunity to make separation very traumatic…and very expensive.