UK private bank Duncan Lawrie says it is being “overwhelmed” by its work in assisting law firms cope with their caseload of matrimonial divorce cases, coming at a time when financial aspects of marital breakups are getting ever more complex.

The firm said recent divorce proceedings have seen the climate for divorce shift towards what is deemed to be a “reasonable division of the matrimonial assets”, covering assets such as pensions, investments and even future earning capacity.

Mark Ormerod, director at Duncan Lawrie, said: "We are receiving a great deal of support from family law solicitors, we have worked with many of them for a number of years and have been overwhelmed by the interest in our divorce service."

The private bank, which is part of London-listed Camellia Group, has its head office in Belgravia, London as well as offices across the UK and the Isle of Man.

Earlier this year, meanwhile, a study about divorce from the law firm Mishcon de Reya showed that half of all City workers have seen bonuses slashed by up to £40,000 (about $80,000) – more than the national average annual wage – and this is increasing the number of wives seeking divorce advice.

The study showed that a fifth of all high earners in London’s financial district have seen one or more colleagues on the receiving end of divorce proceedings since the onset of the credit crunch, while one in ten are currently worried their own spouses may be seeking legal advice to protect their own interests.

Without a pre-nuptial agreement over two thirds think they could face a divorce settlement of up to £500,000. Ten per cent think the payout to a partner would increase to £1 million in the absence of a pre-nuptial arrangement.