A crucial factor to establish, for any separating couple, is the date you view the marriage / partnership to be at an end as this is when the courts will take a snapshot of your financial situation for settlement purposes. The date of separation is more commonly known in Family Law as the ‘relevant date’ and is vital to enable parties to negotiate a fair and equitable division of the net matrimonial property (‘matrimonial pot’). In many cases there will be a clear date of separation and parties can confirm the relevant date prior to obtaining legal advice on separation/divorce. However, if parties are not able to agree and there is a significant discrepancy between the two dates proposed by parties, this may significantly affect what is included within the matrimonial pot.
