Handbags and gladrags…

As a divorce lawyer, there’s a time in almost every case I deal with when we get around to discussing the value of the household contents, and how to divide them. People sometimes become really attached to ‘stuff’ and the most mundane of items, and who gets to keep them, can become symbols of everything that is painful about the separation. The fight to retain the item can become the absolute focus for my client even though its actual value is almost negligible. I was once at court late at night, watching the security guards locking up, while we continued to arguing over who was keeping the microwave. At the other end of the spectrum, there can be huge value, as much as the other assets combined in some cases, in the handbag and shoe collection of some wives. This post by family lawyer Emma Nash at Spring Law is great reading on this exact point.

A trickier aspect for many divorcing couples is how to divide up their personal belongings. Often, the sentimental value placed on certain items doesn't correlate to their true value, &adesire to see the other party punished can blow arguments over who gets what massively out of proportion.

There's 1category of luxury items which holds significant value but which could easily be overlooked . Designer handbags, not only retain but can increase in value, particularly if they're a limited edition, in good condition&with the original provenance.

Some Hermès Birkin bags re-sell for between £10,000- £56,000 so a collection of designer handbags built up over a long marriage between a wealthy couple could exceed the value of a vintage car or a rare piece of art. Time to pay attention to the contents of the wardrobe as well as the bank account?