"Typically, people in a relationship will take on debts in joint names, never believing that the relationship will end," said Debt Free Direct spokesman Derek Oakley.
"But when it does the effect of divorce or separation can seriously heighten the impact of the debt problem."
Mr Oakley explained that often individuals do not know about their ex-spouses' debts, and this means people are not taking enough steps to limit their exposure to their previous partners' debts and excessive spending habits.
"For example, even after divorce, many couples still hold credit or store cards in joint names. After separation it's important to advise the credit company to terminate the joint card. Unless you do this you could be pursued for payments on debt that your ex-partner has run up," he said.
The survey reveals that women are more likely to have no option but to declare themselves bankrupt than men, with 14 per cent more female UK residents facing insolvency than their male counterparts.
Additionally, women are 26 per cent less likely to be able to take out an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) , a less serious option than going bankrupt.
IVAs are legally binding contracts between a borrower and all of their creditors to repay them only what they can realistically afford with the balance of their debt being written off.
Typically creditors agree to waive interest on debts in return for receiving regular payments each month over a set period, normally around five years, with monthly payments calculated on the person's income and expenditure. 
