A family lawyer says proposed changes to divorce laws are well overdue.

The Law Commission has come up with more than 100 recommendations, which include re-considering how property is split and income is shared after a separation.

The commission is suggesting if a person owns a property before a relationship starts, only the capital gains would be shared when they split up.

Family lawyer Sharon Chandra told Kate Hawkesby that's fair if the other person hasn't made any direct contribution to the asset.

Chandra says changes are needed in a number of areas.

"It should address issues like inconsistent approaches, to how much a claim should be worth."