Court rejects ‘dishonest’ husband’s bid to reduce divorce payments

A husband described in court as “blatantly dishonest” has failed in his attempt to reduce the amount he must pay his wife as part of their divorce settlement.

During the divorce proceedings, the husband had claimed to be in a dire financial position, being indebted to a trust he had set up and being excluded from its benefits.

The court found that his position was a charade to avoid making his capital and income available to the wife. It found that when the time was right, the husband and the trustee would arrange for him to gain employment giving him the means to support a very affluent lifestyle.

The judge considered the husband to be “blatantly dishonest” and ordered him to pay £10,000 per month in maintenance.

Three months later, the husband started working for a company connected with the trust. He then applied to have the monthly payments reduced on the basis that he couldn’t afford them as his new job only provided a modest salary.

The court rejected his application. It held that there was nothing to dissuade the court from its earlier conclusions regarding his bad faith. There had been a total lack of transparency in relation to the employment arrangements.

There was no reason to dissent from the court’s previous conclusion that the husband’s apparent difficulties would be resolved at some point.

Please contact Kirsty Bowers or Carey Vigor if you would like more information about the issues raised in this article or any aspect of family law.