Career change during divorce court process

[sedumsaid]

I want to change my career to retrain which will mean lower earnings but something I've always wanted to do and is part of my new start post separation. Can I do this while the divorce is going through the courts? Will it be seen as not maximising my earnings? I feel my life is on hold waiting for the divorce which is still a long way off.

I suppose it depends on whether you are pursuing a higher settlement to facilitate being then able to work part time/for lower income or whether it has no material effect to how you agreed on the division? To an outsider of course it would like you've shafted him and have swanned off with his hard earned money to work a low paid/part time job - even if that is not the case at all

The most likely outcome is that your needs will be based on your maximised earnings and that you will have to adsorb any detriment from the income reduction.

Your settlement would be based on your earning potential not what you earn
so if you are retraining and not earning he won’t be expected to fund that
if you are ultimately retraining to a much lower paid job he won’t be expected to subsidise that choice