When Varsha Gohil discovered her husband’s affair she filed for divorce and accepted £270,000. It took a 23‑year battle to uncover his hidden £28mn fortune, finally awarding her £6.6mn last month. Other couples face similar shocks—one wife of a lower‑league football agent found her home worth over £2mn but her husband had nearly £1mn in debt.

Experts stress that couples should review finances together. Amanda Glass, a divorce consultant, insists on an outline of assets and mortgages at the start of a divorce, while Dr Ylva Baeckström, a finance lecturer, notes that joint bank accounts and shared budgeting reduce conflict. Powers of attorney should be in place for incapacity, and couples must discuss how they would manage assets if the other died.

From next April pensions will no longer be protected from inheritance tax, pushing older couples to re‑evaluate transfers to children. A joint financial session can feel like relationship counselling, helping partners align priorities, decide on big purchases, and plan for market swings.

Shirley Coe, a senior banker at Weatherbys Private Bank, urges couples to treat money as a partnership, not a battlefield.