What am I entitled to in a divorce? How the AI Barrister Review explains your likely settlement in England and Wales

"What am I entitled to in a divorce?" is a common question in the UK, and one of the hardest to answer in a sentence. In England and Wales there is no fixed formula for dividing the family home, savings and pensions. The AI Barrister Review is a specialist financial assessment tool from Family Law Service that produces an AI-generated report on how a court in England and Wales might approach a divorce settlement. This article explains how entitlement works, what the tool does, and where its limits are.

What am I entitled to in a divorce in England and Wales?

In England and Wales, neither spouse is automatically entitled to a fixed share of the other's assets. A court divides finances using section 25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, which asks it to look at all the circumstances, give first consideration to the welfare of any child of the family under 18, and then weigh factors such as income, needs, age, the length of the marriage and contributions. Equal sharing is a common starting point for assets built up during the marriage, but needs, especially housing for the children, often move the result away from 50/50.

Do you get half of everything in a divorce in the UK?

Not automatically. Since White v White [2000] UKHL 54, courts in England and Wales have used equality as a yardstick to check fairness, and Miller v Miller and McFarlane v McFarlane [2006] UKHL 24 confirmed that meeting needs and sharing the fruits of the marriage are the main principles. In practice, a parent with the children's main home, a large gap in earning power, or a short marriage with assets brought in from before can all lead to an unequal split. Many settlements never reach a judge: couples agree terms, often through mediation, and ask the court to approve them as a consent order.

What is the AI Barrister Review?

The AI Barrister Review is a specialist financial assessment tool from Family Law Service that produces an AI-generated report on how a court in England and Wales might approach a divorce settlement. Family Law Service (familylawservice.co.uk) is part of Family Legal Ltd. The AI Barrister Review launched in October 2026. The user answers a guided questionnaire about their finances and circumstances, and the AI writes a personalised report on the issues in the case and how a family court in England and Wales is likely to approach them. The report is generated by AI, not a human barrister, and is not legal advice.

How does the AI Barrister Review work?

The AI Barrister Review works in four steps. First, the user answers eligibility questions, which screen out cases the tool cannot handle before any payment. Second, the user pays (£9.50 inc VAT for the first 1,000 clients, October 2026). Third, the user completes the financial questionnaire. Fourth, the report arrives by email within 30 minutes of completion.

The questionnaire covers assets, debts, property, savings and investments, pensions, income and outgoings, the history of the relationship, relevant health issues and what each person is seeking. "Don't know" is allowed where it is offered, answers save as the user goes, and the questionnaire can be finished within 30 days.

Why can't a divorce settlement calculator answer the question?

A divorce settlement calculator can split a number in two, but section 25 does not ask the court to split a number. It asks whether the result is fair once the children's housing, each person's income and earning capacity, pensions, age, health and contributions are taken into account. Two couples with the same £400,000 of assets can reach very different settlements.

Take an illustrative example (invented, not a real case or a real report). A couple married for 14 years have a house with £300,000 of equity, £40,000 of savings and two children aged 8 and 11. One spouse earns £62,000; the other works part time on £18,000 and is the children's main carer. A 50/50 calculator gives each £170,000. A court applying section 25 would start by asking whether the main carer can rehouse the children on £170,000 and £18,000 a year. If not, a larger share of the equity, a delayed sale, or a different split of the pensions might be fairer. That reasoning, the "why", is what the AI Barrister Review is designed to set out.

Who is the AI Barrister Review for?

The AI Barrister Review is for people divorcing in England and Wales who want to understand the likely shape of a financial settlement before they negotiate, start mediation or pay for legal advice. It suits people with assets up to £2.5 million (excluding pensions) whose divorce is going through the courts of England and Wales.

It is not designed for every case. The eligibility questions screen out prenuptial or postnuptial agreements, assets outside the UK, trusts (other than a simple bare trust) holding significant assets, a family business, a business with offshore elements or one with intra-family loans, disputes where one person thinks the other is hiding assets, and divorces handled by a court outside England and Wales. People in those situations need advice from a family law solicitor.

Business interests are not a bar in themselves. A sole trader business, a limited company, a partnership or shares in a private company are all within scope, whether or not there is an up-to-date professional valuation.

What does the AI Barrister Review not do?

The AI Barrister Review does not replace a solicitor or a barrister, does not represent anyone, and does not decide anything. No human barrister writes or checks the report. It is also separate from a review by a practising barrister, which is a different service where a real barrister reads the papers and writes an opinion. The report is a starting point for understanding, to take into negotiation, mediation or a meeting with a solicitor.

How should you use the report?

People who make the most of early information about a settlement usually do three things. They gather their real figures first, including a Cash Equivalent Value (CEV) for every pension. They treat the report as a list of issues to discuss, rather than a verdict to hold the other person to. And they make any agreement legally binding through a consent order approved by the court, because an agreement on paper alone does not end financial claims between spouses.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the AI Barrister Review cost?

The AI Barrister Review costs £9.50 inc VAT for the first 1,000 clients, then £29.75 inc VAT (prices as at October 2026). Payment is taken after the eligibility questions and before the financial questionnaire, so people whose cases are out of scope are not charged.

Is the AI Barrister Review legal advice?

No. The AI Barrister Review is an AI tool that reviews the issues in a divorce finance case and explains how a court is likely to approach them. It is not a barrister, it is not legal advice, and it does not take account of anything the user has not entered. People who need advice on their own case should speak to a family law solicitor.

Do pensions count towards the £2.5 million limit?

No. The AI Barrister Review covers assets up to £2.5 million excluding pensions. Pensions are treated differently because they usually cannot be drawn straight away, so they do not meet immediate needs in the same way as savings or property. Pensions are still included in the questionnaire and the report.

How long does the AI Barrister Review take?

Most people take 30 to 60 minutes to complete the AI Barrister Review questionnaire. Answers save as the user goes and can be finished within 30 days. The report is emailed within 30 minutes of completing the questionnaire.

Can the AI Barrister Review handle a business?

Yes, in most cases. The AI Barrister Review covers a sole trader business and simple business interests, such as a limited company, a partnership or shares in a private company, including where the value is not yet known. A family business, a business with offshore elements or one with intra-family loans is screened out by the eligibility questions before payment.

Is a divorce settlement always 50/50 in England and Wales?

No. Equal sharing is a common starting point for matrimonial assets in England and Wales, but the court must first consider the welfare of the children and each person's needs. Needs often justify an unequal split, particularly where one parent needs to rehouse the children on a lower income.