Men get a raw deal in divorce cases… according to the women they are splitting from

The image of the poor husband getting a raw deal at the hands of a fortunate ex-wife when their marriage fails may seem like the stuff of sexist cliche. 

But men really do come off worst in most divorce cases – according to the very women they are splitting from.

Two-thirds of wives believed it was men who got the short end of the stick when it came to child access. 

Less surprisingly, almost 90 per cent of the divorced men felt the same way.

The findings were revealed in a survey of 2,000 divorced people conducted for the law firm Vardags. 

Two-thirds of wives believed it was men who got the short end of the stick when it came to child access. Less surprisingly, almost 90 per cent of the divorced men felt the same way [File image]

About two-thirds of all those questioned thought settlements in their cases were unfair when it came to either the children or the money. 

The firm’s founder Ayesha Vardag, dubbed the ‘Diva of Divorce’ after representing a string of wealthy clients, said she thought ‘men generally come away with a pretty jaded view of divorce’ because they have often done nothing wrong to lead to the split.

‘I imagine word gets out, from one divorced man to another, that divorce is ultimately a woman’s game and the odds are stacked against them,’ she said.

‘Men are to play one role: the archetypal antagonist. The uninhibited and lust-driven love rat who only catches small glimpses of his children in between his affairs, boozing and demanding work schedule.

The image of the poor husband getting a raw deal at the hands of a fortunate ex-wife when their marriage fails may seem like the stuff of sexist cliche. But men really do come off worst in most divorce cases – according to the very women they are splitting from. [File image]

‘And, because of this, women not only get a majority of the assets, but custody of the children too.’

While the genders agree that men get the worst deal on child access, both sides feel hard done by when it comes to money.

Of those who think settlements are unfair, three-quarters of men think they come off worst, while 70 per cent of women think it’s they who deserve more.

Ms Vardag added that men were terrified of the prospect of unfair settlements – but pointed out that judges are not swayed by whether or not a husband had an affair.