Now, we aren't talking Christian Louboutin shoes or Van Cleef jewellery, but rather divorce shopping!
For a long time now it has been known that London is the divorce capital of the world, attracting many a wealthy millionaire to temporarily relocate themselves in the U.K. and avail themselves of the generous divorce laws which apply the principal of fairness.
It all started with a young farming couple, Martin and Pamela White. They married in 1961 and, investing £2,000 each, purchased a dairy farm to go into business together.
Whilst Martin was a hardworking farmer, spending his days on the farm, Pamela brought up their three children, ran the household and contributed to the running of the farm.
They toiled day and night and their initial investment generated a huge return so that by the time that Pamela issued proceedings for divorce in 1994 they had accumulated a small fortune running into the millions.
Initially Pamela was awarded £800,000 with the Judge ruling that the jointly held assets ought to be transferred to Martin to enable him to continue running the farm with minimum disruption. Pamela, rightly aggrieved, appealed. Why should she be entitled to a lesser share of the assets that were accumulated through their joint marital endeavours simply because Martin was the full-time farmer and she the full-time housewife? Pamela succeeded in significantly increasing her settlement, with the Judge ruling that she had contributed as much to the farm as had Martin and thus she was entitled to a fair share with there being no distinction in law between the homemaker and the breadwinner.
The Judge ruled that every case had to be judged through the prism of the yardstick of equality, and hence England was elevated as the divorce capital of the world, with wealthy spouses relocating to the U.K. - as, provided one the parties was either habitually resident or domiciled in the U.K., they could avail themselves of the U.K.’s generous divorce laws.
So, shopping - but not as you and I know it.
About the author
Gurdip Kaur Brring is a Partner in the Family Division based at mfg’s Worcester office and is well known for handling complex, high quality private matrimonial work.
Areas of expertise:
Gurdip advises on all aspects of divorce and family matters with a niche expertise in complex matters involving family businesses, pensions and farming cases.
She also has considerable experience in relation to pre-marital agreements and the protection of property on cohabitation.
Gurdip acts for clients who lack mental capacity ensuring that their voice is heard by appointing a Litigation friend.
Gurdip has a clear sighted and pragmatic approach, her aim being to help clients reach a resolution to their family conflicts in a constructive and effective way, ensuring that a fair and positive result is achieved.
Get in touch
Get in touch with Gurdip by emailing gurdip.brring@mfgsolicitors.com or calling us on 01905 610410.
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