Senior Partner Marilyn Stowe was featured in the Daily Mail today as she discussed some of the dirtiest divorce tricks that she has come across during her lengthy career.
Although she has seen many clients go through their divorce proceedings amicably and remain compassionate towards their former spouses, she has also seen some very vengeful behaviour.
She suggested that divorce was propelled by natural and irrepressible human instincts, such as “self-preservation, protection and survival”.
Marilyn explained that some of the “dirtiest tricks” she has encountered are illegal.
Dirty divorce tricks in family law
Some spouses relocate abroad with the intention of getting a more favourable divorce settlement, meanwhile, the unsuspecting spouse “does not realise that the promised life of sun and fun is never destined to materialise”. At which point it is too late for the divorce to be heard in the UK where a more modest settlement may be awarded.
Marilyn advised that if spouses are discussing emigrating, they should agree what should happen if the relationship breaks down, including where proceedings should be held.
Some spouses go as far as bugging their partner’s electronic devices, such as their mobile phone; however, Marilyn explained that this sort of thing could backfire as a judge may question the person’s character.
She also described how parties look to sell some of the household’s most valuable assets before the settlement is made. One wife sold her pianist husband’s Steinway piano without his knowledge.
Some parties spend money as a form of payback, which Marilyn explained is usually “the preserve of spurned wives” that look to spend as much as they can using their husband’s credit cards.
Another scenario that Marilyn described was a husband who ended up marrying his divorce lawyer once the divorce from his former spouse was completed.
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