Menopause and divorce: Everything you need to know as a solicitor to better support your female clients

Menopause is a significant life transition that could make divorce especially challenging for women. It typically occurs in women aged between 45 and 55. Common symptoms include hot flashes, mood changes, sleep issues, difficulty concentrating (“brain fog”), and anxiety.

Interestingly, according to Divorce Magazine (6 January 2025), the average age of divorce for women in 2023 (the most recent data available) was 45, when perimenopausal symptoms often begin.

However, findings from The Family Law Menopause Project survey, published by Balance (24 February 2025), reveal that 81% of family lawyers fail to understand or recognise the impact of menopause and perimenopause during divorce and separation. Moreover, 65% of respondents agreed that women are potentially disadvantaged in terms of financial settlements by this lack of understanding.

Keep reading to learn about how the menopause may affect your divorcing female clients and discover five ways you could provide the emotional and practical support they need.

The menopause could present additional financial challenges for divorcing women

60% of those who responded to The Family Law Menopause Project survey felt that women are unlikely to talk openly about the impact of menopause on divorce with their solicitor.

If you want to offer the compassionate and empathetic support your divorcing female clients may need, it’s important to educate yourself about the unique financial challenges menopause could present.

A reduced ability to work

Research by the Fawcett Society (April 2022) revealed that women face significant challenges in the workplace due to the detrimental effects of the menopause. The findings show that:

• 44% of women have found that menopause affected their ability to work
• 8% of women had not applied for promotion because of their menopause symptoms
• 14% of menopausal women have had to reduce their hours to part-time
• 1 in 10 women had to stop work due to the menopause.

Lower earning capacity

Women who feel compelled to halt their career progress, reduce their working hours, or stop working altogether are likely to see their income fall.

Coupled with the potential costs of managing menopause symptoms – treatments, therapies, and so on – this could make it harder for women to cover essential costs and save for the future.

Fewer pension contributions

Women who reduce their work hours or take a career break due to menopause symptoms could miss out on valuable pension contributions during their peak earning years, which could diminish the size of their pension pot when they retire.

As such, the menopause could exacerbate the gender pension gap. This is the percentage difference in income between men’s and women’s pensions, which, according to the most recent government data (22 July 2025), stands at 35% for private pensions and 32% for those who qualify for auto-enrolment.

Difficulties negotiating fair financial arrangements

For some women, menopause may contribute to difficulties with:

• Stress
• Memory
• Concentration
• Self-confidence.

This could make it harder for your female clients to negotiate fair working terms and a satisfactory divorce settlement.

Delayed re-entry to the workforce following divorce

Many women see their income fall after they get divorced. To address this shortfall, they might expect to return to work or increase their hours once their separation is finalised.

However, menopause symptoms such as fatigue and anxiety could derail these plans, leading to a gap between their expected and actual post-divorce earning potential.

5 ways to provide the practical and emotional support your menopausal divorcing clients need

Recognising and understanding the potential impact of the menopause on your divorcing clients is the first step towards offering the holistic support they need. This may include:

1. Acknowledging the menopause as a relevant life factor – This simple yet powerful step reduces any shame your clients may feel and helps them feel understood.
2. Prioritising building a relationship – Take the time to get to know your client and build trust so they feel comfortable talking openly about their challenges.
3. Listening actively and be mindful of cues – Avoid making assumptions about a client’s capacity or engagement. Instead, be alert to cues that may suggest menopause symptoms are affecting their ability to cope with their divorce and advocate for themselves. For example, if they seem in a rush to “get things over with”, this could be a sign of anxiety and stress. You could help by explaining the long-term implications of their choices and pacing negotiations to ensure they have time to think things through.
4. Creating a comfortable environment – Ensure your meeting room is a comfortable temperature and that there is access to water and toilets. You might also like to consider flexible meeting arrangements, such as allowing for short breaks during long sessions and offering video calls (to accommodate anxiety, exhaustion, and so on).
5. Signposting relevant support – Clients benefit from a joined-up approach and making relevant referrals shows that you care about their overall wellbeing. There are lots of charities that offer advice and guidance to menopausal women, such as The Menopause Charity and The British Menopause Society. You might also want to signpost your clients to a divorce-focused, empathetic female financial planner who can help them manage their short-term needs and prepare for the future.

Get in touch

If you’d like to find out more about how we can work together to provide the bespoke support your divorcing clients need as they navigate the menopause, 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.

Please do not act based on anything you might read in this article. All contents are based on our understanding of HMRC legislation, which is subject to change.

A pension is a long-term investment not normally accessible until 55 (57 from April 2028). The fund value may fluctuate and can go down, which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. 

The tax implications of pension withdrawals will be based on your individual circumstances. Thresholds, percentage rates, and tax legislation may change in subsequent Finance Acts.