The parties disputed financial arrangements following their divorce. Moor J said: ‘This case has been quite extraordinary even by the standards of the most bitter of matrimonial breakdowns. It has been conducted in the full glare of the Media. Extremely serious allegations have been bandied around like confetti. Some of these allegations can only be described as ‘wild’. The case has cost the Wife millions of pounds in litigation fees. It has taken some six and a half years to come to trial. There have been around 65 separate hearings. At an earlier stage, I committed the Husband to prison for six months for contempt of court. I am now going to have to make a large number of findings of fact in relation to matters that are very hotly in issue. I have also decided that I have to be highly critical of the way in which the case has been conducted at various times by both parties. In many respects, this is about as bad an example of how not to litigate as any I have ever encountered. ‘
Judges:
Moor J
Citations:
[2013] EWHC 3637 (Fam), [2014] 2 Costs LO 136, [2014] Fam Law 291, [2014] 2 FCR 495
Links:
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Family, Costs
Updated: 19 September 2022; Ref: scu.518392