mfg Blog

Services
People
News and Events
Other
Blogs

Woman refused divorce to take challenge to Supreme Court

  • Posted

A UK woman who was famously refused permission to divorce her husband is taking her fight to the Supreme Court, arguing that she should not have to prove “unreasonable behaviour” in what she describes as the “most significant” divorce battle of modern times.

Tini Owens, 66, previously had her divorce petition to split from 78-year-old Hugh Owens rejected by both the High Court and the Court of Appeal.

Tini Owens has, on more than one occasion, unsuccessfully argued that Mr Owens was unpleasant to her, consistently berating her infidelity.

Her complaints have been dismissed by the High Court and the Court of Appeal, with Sir James Munby, president of the Family Division, ruling last year that the marriage had not, by law, “irretrievably broken down,” despite Ms Owens claims that she had been “locked in” an unhappy marriage for as long as 37 years.

The move was highly unusual, with just one per cent of all divorce petitions in England and Wales typically contested.

Ms Owens will continue to fight her case in the Supreme Court in coming weeks amid a glimmer of hope that she may be able to prove that the behaviour of Mr Owens is such that she should not be reasonably expected to live with him.

Ms Owens also believes that her case calls for the introduction of so-called “no-fault divorce” in England and Wales.

MFG Solicitors’ family team can advise on divorce, related financial disputes and all other aspects of family law. For more information, please contact us.    

Comments