January is traditionally a bumper month for divorce as couples call it quits after the Christmas period, and lawyers are predicting this year will see even more cases as confidence grows in the economy. However, it seems that divorce battles are becoming ever more bizarre, with one supermarket loyalty scheme offering advice to divorcing customers on splitting reward points.
Among the Frequently asked questions section on the Nectar website, operated by stores including Sainsbury's, is this: "Can I transfer points if I get divorced or break up with my partner?". The answer, according to the site, is yes, but "We may need evidence of how to split the points."
A Nectar spokeswoman had more information on how such a split might work. "The primary cardholders, usually the family manager which tends to be mothers, take overall charge of the accounts in the case of a divorce," she says. "But we can arrange for points to be put in an account for their ex-spouses."
It seems odd to imagine that anyone would bother arguing over their storecard points, but Jackie Walker, director of relationship website Breakup Angels, says she has heard of some very strange custody battles, including one couple who spent £1,800 fighting over who should get a £600 washing machine. "There are lots of bizarre things that cause rows for divorcing couples," she said. "Dogs are a very common source of arguments with shocking amounts on canine custody battles."
Walker blames media coverage of celebrity divorces for some of the trivial break-up battles couples get involved in. "What tends to happen is that celebrity divorces get splattered over the newspapers, people see what they are fighting over and then think they should fight too, rather than have reasonable discussions.
"I advocate that people ask themselves what the reasons are behind their demands. They are often fighting because of resentment and not being able to let go."
