Family Law

After months of anticipation, the Supreme Court has confirmed that the ancillary relief case of Radmacher v Granatino will be handed down on Wednesday 20 October.

The appeal is against the Court of Appeal's decision in Radmacher v Granatino [2009] EWCA Civ 649, [2009] 2 FLR 1181. The case will give guidance to practitioners as to the status and effect of pre-nuptial agreements, including the weight to be attached to agreements and the expectations on lawyers and the parties in relation to them.

According to the Solicitors Journal the delay in the Supreme Court ruling has been caused by "significant differences between the justices".

In July 2009 Katrin Radmacher won her Court of Appeal case to enforce a pre-nuptial agreement that protects her personal wealth from legal claims by her former investment banker husband, Nicolas Granatino. The German heiress, worth £100 million, succeeded in reducing the payout to her French ex-husband from over £5.5 million to £1 million plus another £2.2 million-pound loan for a home that will have to be returned when the couple's two daughters grow up.

The couple executed the pre-nuptial contract in Germany three months before they married in London in 1998 with Mr Granatino agreeing not to claim against his wife if they separated. The case has been controversial as the prenuptial contract would have been fully enforceable in Germany or France.

Family Law Newswatch will bring you the latest on the case after it is made available, including a case summary drafted by one of our experienced Professional Support Lawyers and commentary from leading lawyers.