£26 million divorce, husband seeks spousal maintenance

In an ongoing case where there are around ¬£26mn in assets to be divided on divorce where I act for the husband. We have, on his behalf, successfully achieved a court order that his wife pays him a substantial sum of spousal maintenance each month as he is studying and not currently earning. The assets in the case are derived from the wife‘s businesses which have now been sold and the proceeds invested in a wide variety of alternative assets. The husband played a large role in the generation of the wealth so the extent of each party‘s contribution is a live issue for the court to determine. Currently full disclosure of the assets is being sought. However, given the wife‘s inability to produce documents on time and in accordance with court orders it is likely that the case will be extended with enforcement court orders. It also seems likely that the proceedings will be fully contested in court.

Complex family trust arrangement valued at over £40 million

We represent the wife in an ongoing matrimonial matter involving a complex family trust arrangement valued at over £40 million. The marriage is a long one and the family trust owns significant assets both in Jersey and several other jurisdictions. The assets are held in a complex structure and the inter-play of several of the trust entities has had to be disentangled.

There has been evasion and a lack of disclosure and opacity as to the control of the trust. There are legal arguments in respect of contribution, inheritance, non-matrimonial assets and the involvement of third parties. We have instructed a forensic shadow accountant to assist with our perusal of complex business and trust accounts.

Simon Lofthouse, head of our private client department, has provided a valuable insight and advice to the client regarding the complexities of the trust assets, issues of taxation and potential avenues for successful settlement. Barbara Corbett is the lead partner in this matter assisted by Kate Donohue.

Complex child abduction case

This was a complex child abduction matter. Barbara Corbett was recommended to the mother due to her experience in dealing with international abduction matters. The parents and child were living in a war-torn country. The mother intended to take the child to Country A and had made arrangements for them to be permanently settled there. Before this could happen, a member of the paternal family abducted the child and travelled with her, by land and sea, via various refugee camps, to Jersey where other members of the paternal family were living.

The mother eventually located the child in Jersey and made an immediate application for the child to be returned to her care. An urgent application was made and was successful for the child‘s return to the mother. The original order was appealed by the father and he also made other applications in respect of the child. The father then agreed that the child should now remain resident with the mother and a residence order has been made by consent. This was a fast-moving matter involving several very urgent applications.