To provide branched polyarylene ether polymers suitable as a binder in photoconductive layers and charge transporting layers.

The process for preparing branched polyarylene polymers comprises (A) a step for preparing a reaction mixture comprising (i) a multifunctional phenol compound of the chemical formula: Ar(OH)x (x≥3), (ii) a specific compound such as 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone, 4,4'-dichlorobenzophenone, 3,4'-difluorobenzophenone, 3,4'-dichlorobenzophenone, 3,3'-difluorobenzophenone, 3,3'-dichlorobenzophenone, 2,4'-difluorobenzophenone, 2,4'-dichlorobenzophenone or 2,3'-difluorobenzophenone, (iii) a specific compound represented by chemical formula (2), and (iv) a basic carbonate, and (B) a step for heating the reaction mixture to remove the product water from the reaction mixture and, thereby, conducting polymerization reaction.