Judge warns of importance of honesty in divorce negotiations

A recent court case has highlighted the importance of full disclosure of assets in a divorce hearing, reports the London Evening Standard.

The case involved a couple who divorced in 2009 and had reached a private agreement under which the ex-wife received a divorce settlement of £1.8 million. She hadn’t received any legal advice prior to signing the agreement as she was anxious to bring matters to a close.

However, three years later she lodged a legal challenge after discovering that her ex-husband had lied about his true wealth when they reached their settlement.

The High Court has ruled in her favour and ordered that the previous agreement be set aside and the settlement renegotiated to determine if the wife should receive additional money.

Judge Sir Paul Coleridge commented that the husband had given his wife a “deliberately false” impression of his wealth, and warned that couples had a duty to be honest with each other in these situations, reports the Evening Standard.

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