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Story: Divorce and separation

Split down the middle

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Split down the middle

Division of matrimonial property provoked debate, angst, resentment and sometimes jokes. In 'Matrimonial Properties Act 4' Christchurch printmaker Denise Copland highlighted the difficulty of equal sharing, showing a household’s possessions split neatly down the middle – everything, from television to flowers, included.

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Christchurch Art Gallery - Te Puna o Waiwhetu

Reference: 90/49

by Denise Copland

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How to cite this page

Megan Cook, Divorce and separation – Maintenance and the division of property, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/29841/split-down-the-middle (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Megan Cook, published 21 April 2011.