A millionaire’s daughter has branded English divorce law “a gold-digger’s charter”, after being ordered to pay her unemployed ex-husband £1.2 million.
Victoria Luckwell, 37, is the daughter of the man behind The Moving Picture Company which invented Bob the Builder. He is worth an estimated £135 million.
Her former husband, Frankie Limata, was awarded the large pay out despite the fact that he had signed numerous pre-marital agreements which waived his right to any of his wife’s money.
Family Division judge Mr. Justice Holman ordered Miss Luckwell to provide her former husband with £900,000 to buy a home plus £300,000 to pay off his debts, buy a car and furnish his home.
Miss Luckwell currently lives in a £6.7 million home in central London, but is now fearful that she may have to sell it in order to meet the payments to her ex.
In comments made after the order had been handed down, Miss Luckwell criticised divorce law in England and Wales. She also backed the Law Commission’s recent proposals to make pre-nuptial agreements legally binding in England and Wales.
As she left court she said: “Sadly I am left to conclude there is a strong financial disincentive for a wealthy woman to marry if she cannot be assured of protecting her family’s assets. Simply put, this is a gold-digger’s charter.”
“We are all distressed that today Frankie was given a financial award at all, given the unforgivable breaches of his promises.
“This has been a painful public hearing during which Frankie made cruel and wholly unjustified criticisms of my family.
“Important public policy considerations arise from this case. Unless Parliament enacts the recent Law Commission’s proposals on nuptial agreements, the law will remain in a state of uncertainty.
“This results in very costly and public hearings a well as enormous emotional distress and financial uncertainty. My recent experience is exactly what nuptial agreements are designed to eliminate.”
Her 71-year-old father added: “A law which rewards a gold digger after signing three legal agreements merits real criticism.”