THE contentious subject of whether or not wives should receive long-term support from ex-husbands reared its head last week.

Of course, it is almost always related to the super-rich rather than ordinary souls like you and I, but fascinating all the same.

Multi-millionaire Cheshire accountant William Waggott paid almost £10 million in cash and assets to his ex-wife Kim when they split up in 2012. He was also ordered to pay her £175,000 a year maintenance for the rest of their lives.

However, he has just got that order overturned, arguing that this meant his wife, also an accountant, had “no financial incentive” to return to work. Lord Justice Moylan at the Court of Appeal agreed to stop payments in three years’ time in order to give Mr Waggott what he described as “a clean break.”

The feeling was that Mrs Waggott would not suffer “undue hardship” and could get a job if she needed more money.

Now, apart from the eye-watering amounts involved, this case does once more raise the question of support after divorce. And it is a very thorny one.

Anyone who has been through a messy split knows that all kinds of emotions are thrown up here on both sides and often the main two are anger and revenge.

Although it’s impossible to apportion blame in anyone else’s relationship as no-one but them really knows what happened, this is often the time that partners punish each other for perceived transgressions.

Of course everyone needs money to survive. Of course many women – and sometimes men - have sacrificed their own careers to be the ones to stay at home with the children and let a partner concentrate on a career or business.

Individuals may well need a regular financial settlement to underpin an established lifestyle, although both parties may actually have to accept a reduced one in the real world. Anyone left to bring up children alone also needs very specific, realistic support for a long period.

But often, you do wonder if some people live in a world of their own and whether a partner expecting support for life when they are perfectly capable of working for a living is right.

Is it even healthy for individuals to have this kind of cosseted existence and never want to work? Divorce is often complex and unpleasant but I’m afraid it’s also when some people just get greedy.