Women Get Right to Reopen Divorce Settlements

The Supreme Court Overturns Decision

Two women have won the right to challenge their divorce settlements saying their ex-husbands misled Judges about how much they were worth in landmark decision.

The Supreme Court overturned the earlier decisions that the women’s financial settlements could not be reviewed upon determining that they would not have secured a substantially different award had the true position been known. Their claims will now be reopened and fully reconsidered.

Julian says – this decision emphasises the importance of both parties providing full and transparent financial disclosure when negotiating their divorce settlements – if you do not put all your cards on the table it might well come back to bite you further down the line. As Mrs Sharland said “I hope that their decision sends out a message to everyone going through a divorce that they cannot lie in the Family Court and get away with it”. The Family Court have now made it clear that a financial settlement can be reopened if the agreement had been reached on a false premise because one of the parties lied to the other about the value or potential value of an asset.

If you believe that your financial settlement may have been based upon dishonest evidence it may well be worthwhile having that agreement reviewed. For more information on divorce settlements view our divorce law page.