{"id":1558,"date":"2018-03-21T14:34:51","date_gmt":"2018-03-21T14:34:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/?p=1558"},"modified":"2020-05-12T14:07:37","modified_gmt":"2020-05-12T14:07:37","slug":"maintenance-and-clean-break-on-divorce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/index.php\/2018\/03\/21\/maintenance-and-clean-break-on-divorce\/","title":{"rendered":"Maintenance and Clean Break on Divorce"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Maintenance-and-Clean-Break-on-Divorce.jpg\"><img data-attachment-id=\"1571\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/index.php\/2018\/03\/21\/maintenance-and-clean-break-on-divorce\/maintenance-and-clean-break-on-divorce-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Maintenance-and-Clean-Break-on-Divorce.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1024,768\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Maintenance and Clean Break on Divorce\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Maintenance and Clean Break on Divorce&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Maintenance-and-Clean-Break-on-Divorce-300x225.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Maintenance-and-Clean-Break-on-Divorce-1024x768.jpg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1571\" src=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Maintenance-and-Clean-Break-on-Divorce-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Maintenance and Clean Break on Divorce\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Maintenance-and-Clean-Break-on-Divorce.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Maintenance-and-Clean-Break-on-Divorce-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Maintenance-and-Clean-Break-on-Divorce-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><\/h3>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>Maintenance and Clean Break on Divorce<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Who&#8217;s entitled to Spousal Maintenance?\u00a0How&#8217;s it calculated?<\/li>\n<li>What&#8217;s a Clean Break, and is it the answer?<\/li>\n<li>And what about Nominal, Capitalised, or Secured Maintenance?<\/li>\n<li>And what on earth is a Duxbury Calculation?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a quick\u00a0answer\u00a0to all these\u00a0questions and more, and\u00a0I hope you&#8217;ll find it helpful. If anything&#8217;s not clear, please leave a comment, or <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">get in touch<\/a><\/em>.\u00a0And right at the end I mention some of the topics\u00a0I&#8217;ll be covering in\u00a0my next blog about Child Maintenance.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Can I\u00a0Claim Maintenance (aka Periodical Payments)?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>It depends on your financial circumstances. The Court used to make lifelong Maintenance orders as a matter of course. But now a &#8220;Clean Break&#8221; is much more likely.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What&#8217;s\u00a0a \u201cClean Break\u201d?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>It&#8217;s\u00a0when the Matrimonial assets are shared out and you call it a day, you have no continuing right to Maintenance. But people do still sometimes avoid a Clean Break and get a Maintenance order, so read on.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What are the Options for Maintenance?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Maintenance can be:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Open ended<\/li>\n<li>For a fixed period of time<\/li>\n<li>Capitalised (see below)<\/li>\n<li>Secured (see below)<\/li>\n<li>Dismissed (see below)<\/li>\n<li>Not dismissed but not in payment\u00a0&#8211; a \u201cNominal Periodical Payments\u201d order (see below)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>How is Maintenance Worked Out?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>It&#8217;s\u00a0usually a question of need. What does the lesser earner,\u00a0usually the parent with whom the children live, need in order to pay all the outgoings?<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s only in exceptional cases that entitlement goes beyond needs, and this is where there\u2019s an excess of income. There&#8217;s no set formula but the Courts\u00a0say the concepts of \u201csharing\u201d and \u201ccompensation\u201d\u00a0should be applied.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>How Do &#8220;Sharing&#8221; and &#8220;Compensation&#8221; Differ from &#8220;Needs&#8221;<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cSharing\u201d is, briefly, the idea of sharing in the \u201cfruits of the marriage\u201d.\u00a0So it&#8217;s an attempt at fairness rather than just covering needs.\u00a0\u201cCompensation\u201d refers to big money divorces where Maintenance is likely to go far beyond needs. These complex areas\u00a0are discussed in the cases of\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/publications.parliament.uk\/pa\/ld200506\/ldjudgmt\/jd060524\/mill-1.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Miller and\u00a0McFarlane.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>If there&#8217;s\u00a0high income in your divorce, you&#8217;d be wise to seek advice from an expert Family Solicitor to make sure you don\u2019t miss out. Most offer <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">initial free advice<\/a><\/em>. We certainly do.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What is Capitalised Maintenance?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The payer pays a lump sum upfront representing a certain\u00a0amount of Maintenance over a certain\u00a0period of time.\u00a0Family lawyers use a Duxbury Calculation to work out the appropriate figure. This can result in a &#8220;Clean Break&#8221; (see above).<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What&#8217;s\u00a0a Duxbury Calculation?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Tables to work out\u00a0a lump sum which represents the appropriate level and duration of Maintenance. They are contained in At A Glance, Essential Tables for Financial Remedies published by the Family Law Bar Association. The 2018-2019 edition comes out in April and can be preordered <em><a href=\"https:\/\/classlegal.com\/books\/at-a-glance\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/em> for \u00a370.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What is Secured Maintenance?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Are you worried your Maintenance won\u2019t be paid? If so you can either agree, or the Court can make, a Secured Maintenance order. But this is only appropriate if the payer has sufficient assets to cover the payments.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What Happens When Entitlement to Maintenance is Dismissed?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>You lose your entitlement\u00a0to Maintenance. If you have the slightest doubt, seek <a href=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/about-us\" target=\"_blank\"><em>advice<\/em><\/a> from a Family Law solicitor.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What are Nominal Periodical Payments?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s when you\u2019re not receiving Maintenance, but your entitlement is not dismissed. You might be able to go back for a second bite of the cherry if your circumstances change. These Maintenance orders are often worded as &#8220;five pence a year&#8221;.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Why are Nominal Periodical Payment Orders Important?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>They protect the lesser earner,\u00a0typically\u00a0the parent who has the children living with them. So for example if the parent suffers a catastrophic injury and\u00a0is unable to work, the order could be a safety net.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Can Maintenance Be Agreed?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Yes, of course. If you need a little guidance,\u00a0&#8220;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/index.php\/2017\/06\/02\/pay-as-you-go-divorce-costs\/\" target=\"_blank\">Pay As You Go<\/a><\/em>&#8221; divorce costs can be helpful.\u00a0 Otherwise you\u00a0can try <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/how-we-do-it\/constructive-negotiations\" target=\"_blank\">negotiation<\/a><\/em>, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/collaborative-law\" target=\"_blank\">collaborative law<\/a><\/em>, or <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/how-we-do-it\/mediation\" target=\"_blank\">mediation<\/a><\/em>. The last resort is an application to the <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/how-we-do-it\/court-proceedings\" target=\"_blank\">Court<\/a><\/em> which of course\u00a0is expensive and stressful, but sometimes necessary.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Is a Court Order Necessary?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Even if there&#8217;s full agreement it&#8217;s wise to have a Consent Order. This prevents misunderstandings.\u00a0A good Family Solicitor\u00a0can draw up a Consent Order for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/what-we-do\/divorce-and-finance\" target=\"_blank\"><em>fixed fee<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Can Maintenance be Varied?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>An\u00a0application to the Court can be made by either of you if there&#8217;s been a change\u00a0in circumstances. This could be for example illness or redundancy. Or perhaps one of you has landed a well paid job, or there&#8217;s been an inheritance.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What Happens If I Remarry?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Your Spousal Maintenance will end.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Next Week&#8217;s Blog &#8211; &#8220;Maintenance for Children&#8221;<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Following on from this blog about &#8220;Maintenance and Clean Break on Divorce&#8221; I will be posting a blog to cover the following questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Can\u00a0I get Maintenance for the Children?<\/li>\n<li>How much\u00a0will it be?<\/li>\n<li>Is there Maintenance for Children over 16 but not in full time education?<\/li>\n<li>What about school fees?<\/li>\n<li>Is it different if the absent parent is a very high earner?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Maintenance and Clean Break on Divorce<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Contact\u00a0 Joanne Houston on 01962 217640 for\u00a0<strong>free<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>advice<\/strong>\u00a0on Maintenance\u00a0and Clean Break\u00a0on divorce. In this 20 minute session we will review your situation and how you can achieve your objectives.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #808080;\">See my blog about\u00a0how to get the\u00a0<em><a style=\"color: #808080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/index.php\/2018\/01\/12\/financial-settlement-on-divorce\/\" target=\"_blank\">best financial settlement<\/a><\/em>\u00a0on divorce.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">Did you know there are different rules for\u00a0<a style=\"color: #ff00ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/index.php\/2017\/08\/01\/divorce-financial-settlement-short-marriage\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Short Marriages<\/strong><strong>?<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<hr \/>\n<blockquote><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/about-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">JUST FAMILY LAW<\/a>\u00a0are specialist divorce and family law solicitors offering\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/index.php\/2017\/06\/02\/pay-as-you-go-divorce-family-law-costs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">personalised legal solutions<\/a>.\u00a0We offer\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/index.php\/2017\/11\/29\/collaborative-law-uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">collaborative law<\/a>\u00a0which is especially relevant in providing\u00a0solutions tailored to your family\u2019s needs. This includes same sex couples and their families. Visit our website\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">just-family-law.com<\/a>\u00a0The topics covered in this blog post are complex and are provided for general guidance only. Therefore if any of the circumstances mentioned in this blog have application to you, seek expert legal advice.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>image Happy Family by Joy Coffman on <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.m.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Happy_family.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">Wikimedia<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maintenance and Clean Break on Divorce Who&#8217;s entitled to Spousal Maintenance?\u00a0How&#8217;s it calculated? What&#8217;s a Clean Break, and is it the answer? And what about Nominal, Capitalised, or Secured Maintenance? And what on earth is a Duxbury Calculation? Here&#8217;s a quick\u00a0answer\u00a0to all these\u00a0questions and more, and\u00a0I hope you&#8217;ll find it helpful. If anything&#8217;s not clear, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1571,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[582],"tags":[327,329,304,331,330,326,328],"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1558"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1558"}],"version-history":[{"count":49,"href":"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1558\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3170,"href":"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1558\/revisions\/3170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.just-family-law.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}