What the law says about dividing finances and property on divorce is lacking – including among divorcees themselves.
The study, by the University of Bristol, found that less than half of ten statements were correctly identified as either true or false.
The levels of understanding was only slightly better among divorcees.
Divorcees who had consulted a lawyer, those who had more assets to divide, and those with children under the age of 18 tended to be better informed though.
The greatest misconception related to whether all assets and debts are automatically split evenly on divorce. One in three people incorrectly thought this was the case.
A third of people also didn’t realise that the duration of the marriage has a bearing on how assets are divided.
These findings highlight the need to ensure that people are better informed about their legal position, so that fair outcomes are reached on divorce and separation.