Divorce calculator

[divorcingsoon]

Hi all

Has anyone ever come across some sort of divorce calculator to help sort out how we should divide things?

We are still on speaking terms, but neither of us really know where to start and don't really want to both go see lawyers if we can sort it out ourselves.

We'd just like to be able to plug our numbers into a calculator or something similar and find out what a starting point might be in terms of making sure both of our needs are met.

Wikiviorce does have a calculator but I tend to find it overstatees ongoing obligation

the important things to think about are

hiisibg needs - chikdren, where will they live, wgat arrangemrents for nrp. Both parents need suitable housing ( eg not one in a 5 bed mansion, 1 in a 1 bed flat)
what assets are available to split and how far do they cover housing needs ( inc pensions but these are not 1-1 with equity )
what earnings and earnings potential for both parties are there - both parties to maximise incone
what mortgage raising capacity do both parties have
What child maintenance will be paid

you don’t need calculators to do most of this stuff

basic principle is to achieve clean break allowing both parties to sever financial ties and only in extreme cases if this cannot be achieved look to some firm of ongoing support

I’m going to echo that a calculator isn’t the best starting point. IMO once a figure not matter how unreliable starts getting quoted and repeated before long it is gossip. It doesn’t take long before someone in a divorce becomes fixated on an outcome which renders negotiation impossible.

The starting point is really to agree what you want to mutually and individually achieve through the process. Accepting you both have needs and responsibilities and also accepting it is a stressful process that can quickly escalate.

Then it is a matter of identifying all your assets and your needs. Sense checking them to see if they are broadly right and fair. The biggest challenge is what to do if there is a gap. The answer to that shouldn’t be to lawyer up and fight.

The answer is to think about what you can change. Invariably this centres on income and outgoings. Benefits can be claimed. Work patterns changed to reduce child care costs etc etc. This is where most people have to compromise on the life they can have after divorce. Try to get fair compromises.

I echo the other responses. The rule of thumb should be to work out what each party's needs are. In the unlikely event there is anything left after that then make the split of remaining marital (i.e. not pre-marriage assets) as close to 50/50 as possible and then each gets back what they brought to the marriage. However, it's unlikely most couples will get past meeting needs.

Anyone who gets fixated on getting more than this will get a lengthy negotiation, a large legal bill and disappointment in an FDR or FH.

Thanks so much for the replies everyone!

I suppose what I was looking for was an easy way in which we could get all of our assets listed out in one place, put our housing needs in (maybe using Rightmove to find examples of what a 2 bed house each might cost) and mortgage capacities then use some sort of algorithm to work out what a fair division would be to get us both in houses.

I know we could probably do this ourselves, but it seems like there should be a tool out there that does this for us in a way that doesn't involve us both getting our GCSE maths out!

To be honest - filling out form D81 (in draft) would actually help really. It shows what the assets are, what one side might pay in CM etc. And it’s imbedded to tot it all up.

the starting point as you know if 50:50

Sorry Form D81 is the info that supports the draft financial consent order when it’s submitted to court.
First section is what assets, pensions, investments you each have in your own / joint names currently, your current incomes - second section you could play around with potential scenarios

I HATE anything financial etc etc and even I found this very straightforward to fill in etc

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/form-d81-statement-of-information-for-a-consent-order-in-relation-to-a-financial-remedy