David Hodson on International Family Law: Part III and Russian "divorce tourism"

The popular media predictably relished the sound bite given to them last Thursday when judgment was handed down in Golubovich. Seizing populist condemnation was relatively easy as a 28-year-old Russian wife after an 18 month marriage received almost £3 million. Counsel on behalf of the husband reportedly referred to divorce tourism and said that the case would open the floodgates for any woman with any connection with England to take advantage of the more relaxed approach to ancillary relief in this country. The so-called divorce capital in the world is open to business for divorce tourists!

As always there is much more behind the headlines. Particularly there is much here which stands to the considerable credit of the English family justice system.

It was a Part III Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 application for financial remedy after a foreign divorce. This itself shows credit in the facts of this case already reported at [2010]...

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