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Divorce laws need changing, says Baroness Deech
Practice area: Family Law
Divorce laws in the UK need to more closely resemble those in mainland Europe, an expert has insisted.
Family law specialist Baroness Deech, who is chairman of the Bar Standards Board, said the current system encourages women to get married to a rich man instead of getting a job.
This, she stated, is because there is far less emphasis on
pre-nuptial agreements in Britain than in other countries.
Baroness Deech has therefore called for the system to be changed so that engaged couples have to consult a lawyer to discuss signing a prenuptial agreement.
"It is hard to see why adults should not be free to contract at the point of marriage for the financial consequences of any
divorce, subject to in-built fairness tests," she commented.
Baroness Deech added that the European system is an "immediate and attractive" model for reforming
family law in the UK.
This comes after comedy legend John Cleese branded his recent
divorce settlement as unfair, as he must pay £6,000 a year to his former wife as part of a £12 million settlement.
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