Menopause Awareness Month

October 2022 is Menopause Awareness month, however, in reality the Menopause is something about which there should be a permanent awareness since it impacts, at some time or another, upon more than half of the world’s population.

Whilst Menopause is not automatically synonymous in people’s minds with divorce and separation, it’s perhaps no coincidence that the most common age range for women to divorce is between the ages of 45 – 55 which overlaps with the range during which many women experience peri-menopausal / menopausal symptoms.

There is a growing acceptance that there is a correlation between women undergoing Menopause and their relationship breakdown with a recent survey* of 1000 women indicating that over 70% of them blamed the Menopause upon the breakdown of their marriage.

For some women, Menopause can be both physically and mentally debilitating with 25% of women suffering with severe symptoms and over 60% experiencing symptoms which adversely affected them. Within family law practice it is vital for your solicitor to have an awareness of the Menopause and its potential relevance to your case. This can either be because it has been an underlying contributor to the relationship breakdown and also because, in some cases, the symptoms impact upon the wife’s ability to work post separation and as such, careful consideration needs to be given when negotiating the terms of a matrimonial financial settlement.

Clients of both genders should therefore not be shy about discussing the possible effects of Menopause with their family solicitor in the context of their relationship breakdown.

If you would like legal advice regarding matters arising from the breakdown of your relationship then please contact a member of our family team at our Warwickshire (01926 887700) or Leicestershire offices (01455 610747).

With offices in Hinckley, Stoney Stanton and Leamington Spa.

*Family Law Menopause Project & Newson Health Research and Education”