A prominent entrepreneur has been found to have deliberately attempted to isolate his wife from her trusted legal adviser in what has become one of the largest divorce settlements in English legal history.
In a ruling handed down by Mr Justice Cobb, the court found that the husband, referred to as ‘SA’ and described as a “serial entrepreneur,” “specifically and deliberately sought to isolate” his former wife (referred to as ‘PN’) from her solicitor, Claire Gordon, a partner at Farrer & Co. His attempt to drive a wedge between them, the judge said, was made “for his own advantage” during financial negotiations in 2022–2023.
The case concluded with a settlement of £230,778,588 awarded to the wife, this sum being approximately 44% of the couple’s joint marital assets, which are now valued between £460 million and £540 million. The parties were married for 20 years and divorced in April of this year, with legal costs totalling around £5.5 million.
Central to the judgment was a debate surrounding the enforcement of a post-nuptial agreement made in 2023, which the court ultimately deemed to be invalid. In support of this decision, the judge found that the English version of the agreement “could not and did not reflect an agreement on which both parties were ad idem,” further noting that it was “not a complete and concluded agreement.”
Mr Justice Cobb stated that the husband engaged in a series of coercive tactics aimed at pressuring the wife into accepting his financial proposals. These included conscious efforts to exclude legal representation from both parties during key discussions in financial negotiations, up until the point he believed a deal had been reached.
“The husband deployed a number of tactics to frighten the wife into agreeing with his proposals for financial settlement in 2022-2023,” Mr Justice Cobb ruled, concluding as well that these “scare tactics” had a cumulative and significant impact on the wife’s self-confidence and free will.
The judge was particularly critical of SA’s treatment of his wife’s solicitor, Ms Gordon, noting that the husband viewed the solicitor not only as a legal advisor but also as a source of emotional support for the wife, PN, which he intentionally sought to remove. His efforts to distance PN from Gordon were found to have increased PN’s vulnerability at a crucial time in negotiations.
Mr Justice Cobb asserted that there was ‘no proper basis’ for the husband’s ‘immoderate and vindictive views’ of Gordon. “It was wrong of him to seek to exclude Ms Gordon from the discussions about the settlement,” he said. “I find that he recognised in Ms Gordon a dedicated and conscientious lawyer who would in all likelihood appropriately and diligently protect her client’s interests. In that regard, the husband saw her as an obstacle to his objectives.”
The judge went on to explain that had both parties received proper legal counsel, the court would have been “slow to interfere”. Instead, the wife was left “in a position of obvious disadvantage, without the ability to exercise any real self-determination or free will in relation to the negotiations in 2022-2023 on the division of marital assets.”
Commenting on the judgment, Ms Gordon said the family court had “recognised the strain that a build-up of persistent and attritional conduct places on relationships,” and acknowledged that such behaviour “can ultimately erode a person’s free will.” She further highlighted the ruling’s recognition of “the vital emotional support that family lawyers often provide to their clients, alongside legal advice.”
At Grayfords, our family law solicitors understand the importance of providing you with both expert legal advice and personal support as you navigate the legal process of a divorce, separation, financial settlement, or any other family law matter. Don’t hesitate to call us today on 020 7100 6100 to book in your free initial consultation for more information on how we can help.