Divorce and separation - financial matters

1. Does the reason for the divorce make any difference to how the financial settlement is worked out?
2. When do we need to agree a financial settlement?
3. Will any payments I make to my spouse while we are separated affect the final settlement?
4. Will it make any difference if I move out of the family home before we are divorced?
5. Are there any precautions I should take, for example to stop my spouse taking cash from our joint account?
6. How much maintenance is a spouse entitled to?
7. How can I protect my maintenance payments in case my ex-spouse dies?
8. Can a man claim maintenance from his ex-wife?
9. What happens if my spouse refuses to pay maintenance?
10. What happens if one of us remarries or starts cohabiting with a new partner?
11. How much maintenance do I need to provide for the children?
12. Do I need to provide maintenance for children if I am not their father?
13. Can I settle any financial claims once and for all when we divorce?
14. Can we negotiate a settlement without using lawyers or going to court?
15. How long will it take to sort everything out?
16. Who pays the legal fees?
17. Do we have to go to court to get the settlement approved?
18. Can I be forced to give up the home?
19. Can business assets be included in a financial settlement?
20. How are any assets held overseas treated?
21. Can assets held in a trust be taken into account?
22. What will happen to my pension?
23. How do we deal with assets like life insurance or endowment policies?
24. Can money one of us expects to inherit be taken into account?
25. Will a prenuptial agreement protect my assets?
26. What can I do if I find out my spouse has assets or income which were not disclosed when we agreed the financial settlement?
27. What happens if I cannot afford the maintenance payments?
28. What is the tax treatment of sales or transfers of assets in a divorce?
29. What is the tax treatment of maintenance payments?
30. Should I make a new will?