Relationships Affected by Job Losses

Divorce courts have seen large numbers of bankers' trophy wives seeking settlements amid the prospect of widespread job losses in the City.

One law firm said it had seen a 300% increase in the number of such inquiries since rumours of redundancies started to sweep the City.

And relationship experts said that such divorces are often instigated by women shocked by realising how little they had achieved in their own right since the marriage.

"So much is riding on the husband's money-making role and professional status that when it breaks down the partnership can easily collapse." said Penny Mansfield, director of relationship researchers One Plus One.

But Miles Geffin, of matrimonial law specialists Mishcon de Reya - which initially represented Heather Mills in her divorce battle with Sir Paul McCartney - said that financial motivation for filing for divorce could also come from the working partner.

"Businessmen who lose their job often see it as an opportunity to head straight off to the divorce court before they find a new job - so alimony payments will be based on their unemployed status," he said.

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Liz Hicks from law firm Irwin Mitchell said: "The stress of potential redundancy has an impact on the family as a whole. As a Collaborative lawyer, this provides a mechanism of trying to resolve matters by looking at what each of the clients want to achieve; it allows for some inventive thinking which in the current financial climate can be invaluable."