How a financial expert can help break the deadlock in your clients’ divorce negotiations

According to the government website (26 March 2026), the average time for a divorce to be completed, from application to final order, between October and December 2025 was 65 weeks.

However, as you’ll no doubt have seen, if your client and their former spouse or civil partner cannot agree on how to divide their money and assets, it could take much longer. The most recent government data shows that financial remedy applications were 13% higher between October and December 2025, compared to the same period in 2024.

Moreover, research by Legal & General (6 January 2025) shows that financial pressures delayed one in six divorces between 2020 and 2025, yet only 7% sought professional advice.

Keep reading to learn about five common causes of deadlock in financial negotiations and find out how a financial expert could help move things forwards – benefiting both you and your clients.

5 common causes of deadlock when negotiating a financial settlement in divorce

As a financial expert who specialises in supporting divorcing and divorced women, I’ve seen first-hand how costly and stressful delays in reaching a settlement can be.

Here are the top five causes of deadlock I see:

1. Disputes over large or complex assets

While some assets have an obvious value, such as cash held in a savings account, your clients might find it harder to agree on how much more complex assets are worth.

For example, the lump sum cash value of a defined contribution pension may seem significant on paper, but the amount of income it generates will depend on how it’s managed and used.

Moreover, the valuation experts used by each party might apply different methods or timescales for completing their calculations, which could result in significantly different outcomes.

This is especially true when it comes to business interests, as these can fluctuate in profitability and may be valued in a variety of ways. It’s also hard to put a price on intangible assets, such as brand reputation and customer loyalty.

Unfortunately, a lack of clarity around the value of assets can contribute to mistrust and disagreements that may halt negotiations.

2. Disagreements over what’s “fair”

Your client and their ex-partner may have very different views on what constitutes a fair settlement. One may think this means splitting everything 50:50, while the other might see it as an outcome that reflects each person’s future income and needs.

Without a shared definition of fairness, both sides may feel frustrated and unwilling to compromise.

3. Unrealistic financial assumptions

Making unrealistic financial assumptions – such as expecting investments to deliver consistently high returns or ignoring tax liabilities – could lead your client or their ex-partner to believe a settlement is fair and workable when it’s not.

For example, two assets that have a similar value may be taxed very differently. This means that one has a higher net value than the other.

4. Emotional attachment to assets

Assets such as the marital home and inherited wealth may hold strong emotional connections for someone going through divorce. That’s why giving them up can feel challenging or even impossible.

Indeed, a study by Legal & General (2 April 2025) found that 28% of women waive their rights to a partner’s pension as part of a divorce settlement compared to just 17% of men. This decision is often driven by a preference for offsetting pension wealth against the family home. Many women see this as a crucial step towards ensuring continuity and security for themselves and their children.

Unfortunately, such emotionally driven decisions are often harder to compromise on. So, if both parties feel invested in a particular asset, this could contribute to deadlock.

5. Incomplete or delayed financial disclosure

If one or both parties fail to give a full and frank overview of their assets, liabilities, income, and spending, this could slow progress and increase mistrust.

Indeed, creating a settlement that’s acceptable to your client and their ex-partner relies on everyone involved understanding what assets they have to divide and how much these are worth. Any uncertainty may lead to repeated requests for information, disagreements, and refusal to compromise until each person’s position is clear.

How a financial expert can help keep negotiations moving forwards

Stalled settlements are problematic for both you and your clients, as they could lead to expensive tribunals and a fraught solicitor-client relationship.

That’s where I can help.

As you can see from the points discussed previously, deadlock is rarely about the numbers; it’s about uncertainty and misunderstandings.

A financial expert can help by:

• Reframing the discussion – Gaining a calm, objective perspective could help your client shift from thinking “I want this” and “I deserve that”, to focusing on what’s workable and sustainable.
• Testing potential settlement options and assumptions – Cashflow modelling is a helpful way to show how well different proposals will meet your clients’ immediate and long-term needs. It’s also a powerful tool for challenging unrealistic expectations and beliefs.
• Explaining financial complexities – Disagreements and deadlock often arise out of confusion and fear. By demystifying complex financial terminology and concepts, a financial expert can support your clients to enter negotiations with confidence and make informed choices about what to compromise on.
• Providing impartial, evidence-based analysis – This could steer your clients away from emotional and reactive decisions that may fuel disagreements and delay proceedings.

As such, working with me could allow you to achieve:

• Faster settlements
• Fewer complaints
• More productive client conversations
• Increased client satisfaction and trust
• Lasting client relationships and more referrals.

Get in touch

If you’d like to find out more about the benefits of working with me – for you and your clients – I’d love to hear from you.

Please get in touch by email at lottie@truefinancialdesign.co.uk or call 03300 889138.

Please note

This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

All information is correct at the time of writing and is subject to change in the future.

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate cashflow planning.

A pension is a long-term investment; the fund value may fluctuate and can go down. Your clients’ eventual income may depend upon the size of the fund at retirement, future interest rates and tax legislation.

Approved by 2plan wealth management Ltd on 09/06/2026