According to recent research, men are getting rich from divorce – which flies in the face of common thinking, and certainly my experience!

The research suggests that after a divorce, the man has a much higher disposable income where children are involved, and the woman suffers as her available funds drop significantly. According to the figures provided by the research of Professor Stephen Jenkins, the man’s available cash increases by a quarter, 25%.

In contrast, the woman’s available income drops, and that apparently is irrelevant of whether she is looking after children or not.

The survey is called “Marital Splits and Income Changes over the Longer Term” and states that most women find their available income drop by more than 20% after a divorce, and remain low. This is almost the opposite of the man’s income, which increases by 25%.

Stephen Jenkins states:

The differences between the sexes are stark.

But this is not so much a gender thing as a parent thing. The key differences are not between men and women, but between fathers and mothers.

There are only two factors that have an impact on women’s financial position, post relationship breakdown.

The percentage change in income is less if they have worked beforehand and continue working afterwards. The impact is also reduced if they start working after the relationship breakdown. There is also a potential positive impact if she remarries, although the impact is a small one.

I’m not sure I agree with the findings, I certainly wasn’t 25% better off following divorce, and my ex-wife was at least £16,000 better off after the divorce.

Clive Bellmore