When a loving marriage comes to an end, incredible sums of money can change hands after a court ruling
Ekaterina Fields arrives at High Court in London for a hearing in her multi-million pound dispute with her estranged husband Photo: PA
Breaking up is never easy I know, but sometimes it can be devastatingly expensive. The basic reasoning behind divorce settlements is clear: if one partner agrees to take care of the family needs while the other goes into financial employment, then wealth accrued is thanks to the labour of both people and should be shared fairly. Parents also have an ongoing responsibility to provide for any children.
In the UK, a family court would also consider the length of the marriage, age of both parties, and each partner’s needs and ability to earn income. A judge would evaluate the lifestyle that each person is accustomed and entitled to. In other words, if someone has spent many years living a life of great luxury, then they would be awarded a far higher payout than someone who’s accustomed to a more modest lifestyle.
The rulings are intended to protect people from being left destitute after a divorce, and mean that the primary breadwinner is often obliged to transfer huge sums of money after a legal ruling.
Earlier this week, a former beauty queen was awarded a £3.3m divorce payout from her estranged millionaire husband after the pair spent £1m in legal fees to fight over their assets. Ekaterina Parfenova wanted £60,000 a year for hairdressers and beauty treatments and £75,000 for holidays. Though the judge said these figures are “eye-watering” to most people, he said they must be considered in the context of the lifestyle the pair had enjoyed as a married couple.
There’s no time limit to when a claim can be filed – earlier this year, five Supreme Court justices unanimously ruled that a woman should have her case heard before a family court 20 years after she divorced her husband. Kathleen Wyatt, 55, has raised her son through “16 years of real hardship” while her former husband has founded a company worth an estimated £107m. It remains to be seen whether she will be awarded financial remedy, though the Supreme Court justice Lord Wilson said the £1.9m payout she hoped for was too high.
Others are awarded far higher sums – here are a few of the most expensive divorces:
Dmitry and Elena Rybolovlev: $4.5bn
In 2014, a Geneva court ordered billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev to make an award of $4.5bn (£2.96bn) to his ex-wife Elena. Mr Rybolovlev was rankednumber 156 on Forbes rich list with a net worth of $8.5bn (£5.6bn), and has previously admitted that he’s not a model husband. In 2012, his spokesman said, “Mr Rybolovlev never denied the infidelities, but the wife knew about it for many years and passively accepted it."
Alex and Jocelyn Wildenstein: $2.5bn
Jocelyn Wildenstein was awarded $2.5bn (£1.64bn) after 21 years of marriage to French businessman Alec. The couple divorced after Ms Wildenstein found her husband in bed with another woman. When they split, she argued that her payout should include $1m (£660,000) per month to employ household staff.
Rupert and Anna Murdoch: $1.7bn
Media magnate Rupert Murdoch was married to Anna for more than 30 years, from 1967 to 1999. He agreed to give her $1.7bn (£1.12bn) when they split, including a reported £100m in cash. Mr Murdoch married Wendi Deng 17 days later, though the couple have since divorced.
Bernie and Slavica Ecclestone: $1.2bn
Formula One racing CEO Bernie Ecclestone was married to Croatian model Slavica for 23 years, despite some significant differences between them: she was 28 years younger than him, and a foot taller. In 2008, Ms Ecclestone filed for divorce on the grounds of his “unreasonable behaviour” and received $1.2bn (£790m) in the divorce settlement. Since their split,documents show that he has received around £30m from his former wife’s trust fund.
Adnan and Soraya Khashoggi: $874m
In 1961, Saudi businessman Adnan married 20-year-old Englishwoman Sandra Daly, who changed her name to Soraya when she converted to Islam. Mr Khashoggi reached peak net work of $4bn (£2.63bn) in the 1980s and owned 12 homes, 200 exotic animals and 100 limousines. The couple’s divorce in 1982 resulted in an estimated $874m (£574m) settlement.
Sir Chris John and Jamie Cooper-Hohn: £337m
Though the settlement is far less than others on this list, the £37m divorce settlement between two of Britain's most generous philanthropists was the biggest seen in a British court. Mrs Cooper-Hohn argued she was entitled to half of Sir Chris’ £1bn assets while her ex husband offered a quarter, and argued that he had made a “special contribution” to their wealth throughout their 17 year marriage. Last year, Mrs Justice Roberts settled between the two arguments and awarded Mrs Cooper-Hohn a third of the total assets.
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