More than half would consider staying together for the sake of the finances

• The first Monday back to work after Christmas has been dubbed Divorce Day, because there tends to be a surge of enquiries with divorce lawyers.
• Only 40% of people said they would never stay in a bad relationship for financial reasons.
• 23% of people said they would consider staying in a bad relationship if they were unsure how they could afford to live on their own.
• 18% said they might stay together if they couldn’t afford the break up itself.
• 16% said they would consider staying together if they didn’t want to sell the home they shared.
• 14% said they might stay together because otherwise they’d be afraid of getting into debt.
• 14% could stay in the relationship because unwinding their lives would be too complicated.

Figures from a survey of 2,000 people by Opinium for Hargreaves Lansdown, October 2025. Respondents could give more than one answer.

Sarah Coles, head of personal finance, Hargreaves Lansdown:

“The idea of people rushing to divorce after one horrible Christmas is nonsense. However, there’s anecdotal evidence that more people will make early enquiries when they return to work after Christmas on so-called Divorce Day.

This is likely to be the culmination of a huge period where things have been going off track and couples have been trying to work things out. In some cases, even where the relationship seems irrevocably broken, couples will try to hang on for other reasons – including money. Only 40% of people said they would definitely leave a bad relationship if they were worried about the financial issues involved in splitting up.

As the cost of living has risen, money is weighing particularly heavily on couples. The days of double-digit inflation may be over, but the cumulative effect of higher inflation over this kind of period has taken a toll. To buy what would have cost £100 in 2020 would cost you more than £128 today, and not everyone has been lucky enough to have had pay rises to keep pace. Couples who are getting by while they are together might struggle to see how they could manage alone. Almost one in four said it would tempt them to stay in a bad relationship.

Men were far less likely to say they would stay together because they didn’t know how they could afford single life (19% compared to 27% of women). Some of this comes down to the maths, because on average men are on larger incomes, and are therefore more able to stomach the singles tax of living alone. Some of this may also come down to the fact that women are still more likely to have the lion’s share of caring responsibilities, so if they have children, they couldn’t imagine being able to balance looking after the children with earning enough money to keep the wolf from the door.

This could be one reason why those in the over-stretched middle of life, aged 35 to 54, are most likely to say they would stay together because they don’t know how they would afford to live alone – at 27% (compared to 23% overall). The process of splitting up can also be more complicated and expensive when you have built a life together, and have joint responsibilities.

This is part of the reason why people aged 35 to 54 are also more likely to say they would stay because they couldn’t afford the break up itself (22% compared to 18% overall). Parents with children living at home are also more likely to stay – with only 27% of them saying they would leave regardless of any financial issues.

When you’ve built a financial life together, people are also overwhelmed at the thought of having to start again. Younger people (aged 18-34) are more likely to say they would stay together because they don’t want to lose their shared home (20% compared to 16% overall). For those who have just bought a property together, it’s understandable why the thought of losing their home would be particularly distressing – after all that work.

Those aged 55 and over were less likely to stay for any financial reason, and 53% said no money worries could make them stay in a bad relationship. This might be because of the experience they have under their belt, or because more of them have found their life partner, so can’t imagine staying with the wrong person. However, even among this group, 21% said they would stay because of the fear of not being able to afford to live alone.

What can you do

If the relationship is fundamentally broken, then trying to stay together for other reasons isn’t always successful. You can end up splitting up, just over a longer period of time, so you have less opportunity to rebuild. If you’re facing this situation and money is a major concern, it’s worth separating the emotional from the financial, and making a plan for your money that will help you keep your head above water during the divorce. Once you have that plan in place, you can focus on the emotional issues, and doing the right thing for everyone concerned.

What you need to do right now to protect your finances

1. Draw up an emergency budget: Your first priority is damage limitation. People often run up debts after a split, because they’re dividing the same income between two households – while at the same time paying for what can be an expensive process. It makes sense to draw up an emergency budget to cut your expenses as much as possible during these first difficult months. 
2. Talk to your partner about the mortgage, and any other joint debts, like car finance. If you’re both named on the mortgage, then you’re both liable for the full amount, so to protect your financial position you should try to maintain payments in the short term. If possible, try to agree this between you. If they refuse to pay their share, or you’re struggling to pay yours, talk to the mortgage company and see if they will allow you to pay interest-only for a period, or take a break while you sort something out.
3. Think about joint accounts: If you’re being paid directly into a joint account, arrange for the money to be paid elsewhere. If there are bills, rent or the mortgage coming out of the joint account, arrange an alternative way of paying these. Tell the bank holding your joint account about the split and they can make arrangements so you both have to agree to any money being withdrawn. Similarly they can place controls on debts to prevent either of you from abusing joint arrangements.
4. Check your credit cards. There’s no such thing as a joint credit card. If you both have a card on the same account, one of you will be the primary card holder, and the other has an additional card. If you’re the primary card holder, you’re liable for spending on both cards. If this is the case, it’s sensible to block both cards. If your ex is using the card for everyday expenses, they need to know as soon as you’ve done it, so they can find an alternative.
5. Get to grips with the value of what you have: The divorce process involves dividing your assets, so you need to understand the value of it all. This includes pensions. In many cases, it’s one of the largest assets built up during the marriage – often largely in the name of one person. Couples often offset assets, but it’s important to appreciate the value of what you are giving up and what it will cost to replace. It may be worth speaking to a financial adviser as well as a lawyer. This comes at a cost, but if they set you on the right course, it can repay itself several times over in the long run.