It will open the floodgates – thousand of divorcees who feel shortchanged will head back to court to demand justice.
So says the media after the historic Supreme Court judgment in favour of ex-wives Alison Sharland and Varsha Gohil in their respective battles to secure what they believe were assets hidden by their spouses.
We agree – it is likely to lead to a surge in demand – but there’s a catch.
When all the media frenzy has died down, what is left for divorcees surveying their chances of a bigger payout?
A struggle – because Britain’s already overburdened family courts are not going to welcome a flood of return cases with open arms. They don’t like fishing expeditions.
To secure a review of your divorce settlement, you’re going to need something much stronger than a suspicion based on the fact that your ex has an expensive new car.
You will need proof of hidden assets. This is where a highly experienced divorce solicitor can help.
Most (but not all) people going through divorce are usually doing so for the first time. So they think their plan to hide some money is a cunning wheeze that no-one has ever considered before.
But we’ve seen all the ploys – the valuables stashed in other properties, the lump sums suddenly paid to friends and family, the fake debts, the delaying of bonus payments….
The list goes on. You name it. We’ve seen it.
This experience is important in any divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership – but particularly now divorce is increasingly likely to involve a foreign spouse.
They may be attempting to conceal assets in another country; with all the added complexities that this may bring.
Worried that you haven’t had a fair settlement because assets were hidden? Need help with your divorce? Contact Coles Miller family law solicitor and mediator Richard Perrins for expert legal advice.
