News Roundup 4

The news is rather quite on the divorce front in Scotland at the moment but there are several recent interesting stories from south of the border.

Divorce settlement granted after 22 years

A woman has won £220,000 in a ground-breaking divorce settlement — 22 years after separating from her husband.

They were married only four years before they split up but they never formally divorced.

The woman, who is in her fifties and lives in West London, was prompted to bring her claim after learning that her husband had secured a windfall by inheriting some money.

Full report Source The Times 13 June 2009

Judge calls for action to stop British 'epidemic' of family breakdown


A national commission should be created to tackle Britain’s “epidemic” of family breakdown, a senior judge said yesterday.

Mr Justice Coleridge, a Family Division judge, said that the commission should establish marriage as the “gold standard” for relationships and put an end to the constant games of “musical relationships” or “pass the partner”, which can scar children for life.

Full story Source The Times 17 June 2009

History-making divorcee Julia McFarlane is awarded an extra £100,000 a year

A divorcing wife who made legal history when the law lords awarded her a £250,000-a-year payout from her husband has won a 40 per cent increase in her maintenance payments.

Julia McFarlane, 49, who separated from her husband Kenneth in 2000, will receive £350,000 a year although her needs have been put at £150,000.

Full story Source The Times 20 June 2009

Tycoon Scot Young faces jail in £400m divorce

A secretive tycoon at the centre of one of Britain’s biggest divorce cases is facing jail over the whereabouts of his £400m fortune.

Scot Young, a “fixer” to Russian oligarchs and British billionaires, has been told that he could be imprisoned for failing to tell a High Court judge where his money has gone...........

The judge has ordered that Young’s passport be seized to stop him fleeing the country. “There is a real risk that he will leave the jurisdiction and not be seen again,” Mr Justice Charles told a hearing at the High Court last week.

Full story Source The Times 21 June 2009