A judge's 'game-changing' decision to tell the ex-wife of a millionaire racehorse surgeon to ‘get a job’ could mean that more divorced women will now have to support themselves after children turn seven.

Tracey Wright, 51, argued she should continue to receive £75,000-a-year maintenance from her wealthy former husband Ian, but Lord Justice Pitchford ruled she should not be 'supported for life'.

The former riding instructor never got a job following her split with the equine surgeon after 11 years of marriage, but after losing her case she and other women may have to when children grow up.

Senior lawyers said today that mothers will now have to be more self-sufficient from their rich ex-husbands and ‘spousal maintenance is no longer a meal ticket for life’.

'Game-changer': Tracey Wright was told to 'get a job' by a High Court judge after losing her maintenance battle with former husband Ian Wright, which could see many divorced mothers being forced into work

Mr and Mrs Wright’s £1.3million seven-bedroom home, set in 16 acres of Suffolk countryside, was sold and the proceeds divided following their divorce in 2008.

Mrs Wright had argued for continued maintenance to support their two children, but this was thrown out at the Court of Appeal yesterday and she was urged to get back to work. She says has been ‘made to feel like a criminal for putting my children first’.

WHY LANDMARK DIVORCE COULD END OVER-GENEROUS PAYMENTS The judge’s decision is a landmark ruling that will threaten the ‘norm’ of divorcees receiving generous ongoing payments. The presumption in English law is that wealthy ex- husbands will support their former wives with ‘spousal maintenance’ payments. But yesterday’s decision raises the possibility that this is ‘on the wane’. Charlotte Posnansky, of law firm Charles Russell Speechlys, said the case meant that spousal maintenance could end once children reach school age. Advertisement

Experts said today the landmark ruling could now end indefinite payments for former partners of wealthy spouses, and change divorce cases in Britain for good.

Mei-Ling McNab, a family law partner at Brachers, said: 'This landmark decision will be a game-changer for future big ticket divorce cases.

'It confirms mothers with children aged over seven should support themselves.

'This decision is the first step towards self-sufficiency for women on the basis that despite being mothers, they are likely to have an earning capacity and therefore a responsibility to maintain themselves'.

Elizabeth Hicks, family law expert at Irwin Mitchell, said the landmark case was the latest in which judges made it plain ‘spousal maintenance is no longer a meal ticket for life’.

Charlotte Posnansky, of law firm Charles Russell Speechlys, added: ‘For the last 14 years, the pendulum has swung heavily in favour of women when considering the financial implications upon divorce … [it] seems to be swinging back again.’

High profile: In November American Jamie Cooper-Hohn was awarded £337m in Britain’s biggest ever divorce settlement after Galina Besharova's £200m divorce from oligarch Boris Berezovsky in 2011, together right

London has become the 'divorce capital of the world' because ex-wives have chosen British courts to bumper payouts from their rich former husbands.

In November financier's wife Jamie Cooper-Hohn, who is American, was awarded £337million in what could be Britain’s biggest ever divorce settlement from Sir Chris Hohn.

The pair – who have homes in London, the US and West Indies – had fought over assets totalling more than £700 million at the High Court.

In 2011 Galina Besharova was awarded up to £200million as part of her divorce from late billionaire Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky,

Last month Baroness Deech, former chair of the Bar Standards Board, said Britain's divorce laws should be tougher on women because they are encouraged to shun work and 'find a footballer' to marry.

She says as the law stands young women are sent the 'bad message' to find someone rich and 'once you are married you need never go out to work'.

'Never mind about A levels or a degree or taking the Bar course — come out and find a footballer,' she said.

Rulimh: Lord Justice Pitchford, sitting in the Royal Courts of Justice in London (pictured), rejected the application by Mrs Wright, which could change how maintenance is now paid in the UK

Victory: Mr Wright, left, said it was not fair he was expected to support his wife long into retirement when she refused to work

She believes that couples should settle the terms of their divorce before their wedding and this would stop women marrying successful men and then running off with a large share of their wealth.

The peer is currently backing a House of Lords bill that would make prenuptial and postnuptial agreements agreements legally binding.

She said: 'We have a whole area of law which says once you are married you need never go out to work, [that] you are automatically entitled to everything you might need even if that marriage breaks down and it's your fault.'