11 hours ago
Menopause ‘leaves divorcing women financially vulnerable'
Menopausal women are getting a rough deal in divorce settlements, with one lawyer proposing that couples should agree to a 'meno-nup' that would make break-ups fairer.
While fewer couples are getting divorced in the UK, the figure is growing for 'silver splitters' — those separating in later middle age or older. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show a spike in divorce rates between the ages of 45 and 55 — and the number of over-60s separating has doubled since 1993.
Farhana Shahzady, a solicitor at the firm Beck Fitzgerald, suggests that the menopause is leaving some women facing financial vulnerability after divorce. Shahzady argues that family law is 'menopause blind' and that there are financial barriers for women experiencing the condition during divorce or separation, which are routinely being ignored.