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This is a good decision but someway still to go.

I was divorced (11 year relationship, 7 year marriage). She wanted maintenance for life, and I managed to buy out 10 years (still unreasonable in my view). Modest assets. She remarried approx 1.5 years after settlement and has taken all that into her new relationship. Deeply unreasonable in my view (though I have bitten the bullet and moved on, but will never forget).

The fact that she wanted a joint lives maintenance order was "the stick" used to force me into a settlement that meant I had no negotiating position; basically take the best on offer or risk getting worse at court. The law needs reform.

Absent special needs, spousal maintenance needs to be capped at somewhere like 5 years max in my view. This would take the big stick away from lawyers acting for the payee, and result in a fairer settlement in divorce for both parties, and frankly, a more reasonable and much easier divorce process that allows people to get on with their lives without the acrimonious nonsense that is generated by the current system. Come on government get on with it!

Sadly it won't help me, but it will help millions of others and perhaps improve family relationships and avoid children being used as chips (if the ex knows he/she can only get £ for the next 5 years, maybe he/she will adopt a more reasonable stance) - Scotland, I understand, is a 3 year cap.

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