Liam Payne is reportedly consulting legal advice amid rumours that he and girlfriend Cheryl are preparing to split just one year after the birth of their son.

The couple are said to have been going through a “rough patch” in recent months, and Liam has pre-emptively decided to get his financial affairs in order just incase the worse comes to the worst.

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There are rumours that the pair could be set to separate in as little as two weeks, with the division of their assets being the next step to consider. Liam is said to be worth £54 million, while Cheryl’s assets add up to around £20 million.

An insider told The Sun: “Liam has sought some legal advice but he still wants to make it work. It's sensible to be prepared for all options.

"With a young son and a number of assets between them there is more to breaking up than just parting ways. He hopes it doesn't come to it but he's just being careful."

A separate source added that there’s still hope the pair of them might work through their problems in time, but that pals wouldn’t be too surprised if they eventually decided to part ways.

“Hopefully they can emerge intact as a couple. But there’s no denying it – things are pretty rough at the moment between them. Everyone hopes they can sort things out but, at the same time, it may be too large an obstacle.”

Only time will tell.

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