Division of Assets

The Times splashed the headline 'Women to receive less in divorce settlements' across its front page of Saturday 14 April 2007. It refers to H v H [2007] EWHC 459 (Fam), a Family Division judgment of Charles J given on 4 April 2007 (see Cases below). Mr and Mrs H got married in 1985. Mrs H was a teacher and Mr H worked for a bank, and was posted to Tokyo in 1988. The whole family relocated to Tokyo with him and Mrs H took the role of caring for the four children. The marriage broke up in 2004 when Mr H formed a new relationship and left the £2.7 million marital home, which it was not in dispute that Mrs H would keep. The misleading Times report does not relate the fact that Charles J awarded the wife 50% of the current value of all the assets built up during the marriage, and a further sum of £1.4 million to compensate her for the contribution which she had made to enhancing the husband's earning capacity. She therefore received more than 50% of the marital assets. For further comment see June [2007] Fam Law and below for the definitive case summary.