the farms and business with the husband. The wife's legal instructions were to appeal to restore her position and share the two farms. Her instructions were reversed by counsel who preferred to contend inter alia, that the judge had failed to give sufficient weight to the duration, extent, diversity and value of her contribution to the partnership and to recognize that her contributions were the dominant factor in the balancing act required by section 25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, and that an award of approximately 40% of the total available net assets unfair and plainly wrong. Judgment Court of Appeal The Court of Appeal held, allowing her appeal, that an approach based on the wife's future needs or reasonable requirements was inappropriate and that, having regard to all the circumstances of the case in accordance with section 25 of the 1973 Act as substituted, she was entitled to a lump sum of £1.5m reflecting her contribution both to the business and to the family. All consecutive appeals and cross appeals made by the husband and wife hereafter were dismissed. House of Lords A clean break is an arrangement whereby the wife abandoned her right to claim monetary maintenance in return for a transfer by the husband of a capital asset, usually but not always, the matrimonial home, thus encouraging the parties to the marriage to put the past behind them. However, in the case of Minton v Minton [1979], Lord Scarman's definition of a 'clean break' is such as "to begin a new life which is not overshadowed by the relationship which has broken down." It is usually not possible to come to terms with clean break on divorce when there are children under the age of 18. Much of the legislation's and statutes of this case involves the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 especially the interpretation of section 23, 24, and 25. The Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 section 23 & 24 empower the court to make financial and property (assets) provision orders when a decree of divorce is granted. Financial provision orders under section 23 include that one party to the marriage shall make payment to the other party, and the payments may be in secured (securities, bonds, shares) or unsecured, or in lump sums. Section 24 empowers the court to order the sale of property for the purpose of ancillary relief. Significance According to a 2012 Law