It is no secret that London is regarded by many people as "the world's divorce capital". That label does not necessarily refer to the number of separations handled by that city's courts or even for its making world record-breaking settlements. Rather, it could be argued that London has developed a unique appeal because of its being regarded as "wife-friendly" in terms of the way in which marital assets have been divided in recent years.

In the last decade or so, the divorce courts of England and Wales have won the reputation of being among the most 'wife-friendly' around. A number of high-profile and high-value cases have highlighted a significant shift in how settlements were calculated. Historically, the principal factor in dividing marital assets had involved meeting the needs of the financially weaker spouse.