Courts are usually reluctant to break up a functioning business, because it is often the income source that funds the settlement.
Valuation
- A small owner-operated business may be worth little more than its assets plus the income it produces.
- An established company may need a single joint expert accountant.
- Liquidity matters: paper value is not cash that can be paid out.
Common outcomes
- The owner keeps the business and the other spouse takes more of the house or pension.
- A series of lump sums paid over time from future profits.
- Rarely, a transfer of shares, which keeps two ex-spouses financially entangled.
This article is general information about the law of England and Wales, not legal advice. For advice on your situation, speak to a solicitor.