Sonia is 45 and has a satisfying job in the international management of an Oil Company earning £65,000. She is married to Tom who is 58 and recently retired from a finance post in the City of London with a pension of £40,000. The company wishes to move Sonia to their office in Singapore for a period of three to five years of international experience and exchange of expertise and perspective with Singaporean colleagues before return to London and promotion to a more senior role. The couple have twin sons, one in the Royal Navy and the other is a trainee teacher. There is a family home in the Home Counties, where the trainee teacher still lives with his parents.

Richard is also 45 and is an accountant, working as a senior manager in an international bank. He earns £100,000 and is married to Molly, 38 and they have four children between the ages of 11 and 16 attending local schools. They all live in a London suburb. Molly has acted as homemaker since their first child was born, but aspires to write children’s books. Richard has been offered a surprise appointment for two years acting as HR Director of the Bank’s Middle East operations, based in Dubai.

Question

What are the issues that each couple will have to consider?