Couples separating in the North East face the least financially complicated divorces in England and Wales, while those in London face the most, according to an analysis of property and business wealth.

The study, by Stowe Family Law, scored each region on how far divorce settlements are likely to be complicated by high-value assets. The North East scored 11.79 out of 100, against 56.37 for London and a national average of 34.37.

Regions with lower scores tend to have cheaper housing and fewer family-owned businesses, meaning couples have less property equity and fewer commercial assets to divide.

Samantha Farndale, a partner at the firm, said a low score did not reflect how difficult a divorce was emotionally. "Those challenges exist everywhere," she said. "But financially, couples in the North often have a more straightforward path, with less property equity and fewer business assets to untangle."

The index measures the complexity of assets rather than how quickly settlements are reached, and the firm did not publish data on actual settlement times or legal costs.

The research comes as official figures show divorces in England and Wales rising for the first time since 2003. Some 102,678 were granted in the most recent year, a 28% increase the firm attributes to a backlog clearing after the introduction of no-fault divorce, rather than a genuine rise in marital breakdown.