1. Ruth Deech Gresham Professor of Law
WHAT’S A WOMAN WORTH?
Ruth Deech
Gresham Professor of Law

2. Mills-McCartney £28m for a 3-year marriage £35K for Beatrice
£50K pa for charitable donations

3. Charman v Charman
£48m, 28 year marriage to an insurance broker, no outside employment

4. Mrs Miller & Mrs McFarlane
Mrs Miller - £5m after a 3-year marriage
Mrs McFarlane - £250K pa for life

5. Judicial discretion
Judges mean to be generous and fair but have departed from the statutory principles
Discretion is expensive because unpredictable

6. Three sisters

7. The Legislation Matrimonial Causes Act 1973
Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975
The Law Commission proposals: Cohabitation: the Financial Consequences of Relationship Breakdown – remedies for couples with children or who have lived together for 2 years

8. Why cohabit? One refuses to marry Previous bad experience with divorce
Trial to see if marriage right
Reject marriage on ideological grounds

9. More law is a bad idea Expensive
How to determine worthy relationships?
Put men off commitment
Gold diggers’ charter
Freedom of choice

10. Independent arrangements
Prenuptial and cohabitation contracts should be recognised
Make joint wills, put property in joint ownership
Community of property – equal division of marital acquests

11. This lecture will be available to download from our website shortly www.gresham.ac.uk