The man could not
understand why his former wife became “so aggressive” when he informed
her of the new arrangements, the court heard.
On Wednesday Mr Justice Bodey ruled that she was entitled to nearly half of her former husband’s £13.6 million fortune.
The Family Division
of the High Court, heard that the couple, who cannot be named and are
from London, married in the late 1970s and divorced in the 1990s.
The judge said they treated the divorce as “just a piece of paper” and carried on living together.
About five years ago the man, who is in his 70s, met another woman.
“The husband installed the other woman and her 12-year-old daughter into the marital home,” said Mr Justice Bodey.
When the man asked his former wife, who is in her 50s, if she would remain in the home “as some sort of housekeeper”, she found the suggestion “very demeaning and upsetting”.
The man told her that he would “commit suicide or go on hunger strike” if she “went to court regarding financial matters”.
But litigation started and “he could not come to terms with why she, through her lawyers, had become so aggressive”, Mr Justice Bodey said. The judge ruled that there was “no distinction” between the couple’s life before and after the divorce and that she should receive more than £6 million.
The man had argued that he and his former wife had reached an agreement which meant that she would be entitled to no more than £3.4 million.
She said the agreement was signed after she was placed under duress.
He denied the allegation but the judge ruled in her favour.
The man is understood to have interests in a portfolio of property in London.
Eileen Pembridge, head of the Family Law Department at Fisher Meredith solicitors, said that the case was highly unusual but if a person did not make a financial claim on their partner at the time of the divorce they are entitled to do so at any point before they are re-married.
“I think this is pretty unheard of to carry on living together for this length of time,” she said. “To bring a claim after this many years is unusual but the judge will look at the facts and what has been happening in the meantime.”
After a long marriage it is more likely that the assets will be split during the divorce.
She said that, in 40 years experience, the only case she could compare it to was that of a Thai woman who had been tricked into divorce by her British husband and kept on in his Waterloo home “effectively as a housekeeper”.
After his death a judge ruled she was entitled to a share in the home but she had to share it with his second wife.
“The husband installed the other woman and her 12-year-old daughter into the marital home,” said Mr Justice Bodey.
When the man asked his former wife, who is in her 50s, if she would remain in the home “as some sort of housekeeper”, she found the suggestion “very demeaning and upsetting”.
The man told her that he would “commit suicide or go on hunger strike” if she “went to court regarding financial matters”.
But litigation started and “he could not come to terms with why she, through her lawyers, had become so aggressive”, Mr Justice Bodey said. The judge ruled that there was “no distinction” between the couple’s life before and after the divorce and that she should receive more than £6 million.
The man had argued that he and his former wife had reached an agreement which meant that she would be entitled to no more than £3.4 million.
She said the agreement was signed after she was placed under duress.
He denied the allegation but the judge ruled in her favour.
The man is understood to have interests in a portfolio of property in London.
Eileen Pembridge, head of the Family Law Department at Fisher Meredith solicitors, said that the case was highly unusual but if a person did not make a financial claim on their partner at the time of the divorce they are entitled to do so at any point before they are re-married.
“I think this is pretty unheard of to carry on living together for this length of time,” she said. “To bring a claim after this many years is unusual but the judge will look at the facts and what has been happening in the meantime.”
After a long marriage it is more likely that the assets will be split during the divorce.
She said that, in 40 years experience, the only case she could compare it to was that of a Thai woman who had been tricked into divorce by her British husband and kept on in his Waterloo home “effectively as a housekeeper”.
After his death a judge ruled she was entitled to a share in the home but she had to share it with his second wife.
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