The High Court has ordered the transfer and sale of substantial Irish assets to make financial provision for a woman who received almost nothing from a multi-million-pound award made after her English divorce.
D.F. and C.K. married in England in 1997 after a long relationship and separated in 2017. Their divorce became final in September 2020. In October 2021, an English court ordered C.K. to pay D.F. £6.55 million, together with maintenance, arrears and legal costs.
Ms Justice Nuala Jackson found that the English financial orders had remained overwhelmingly unpaid. D.F., now reliant on State pension payments, had incurred further legal expense attempting to secure provision.
The Irish proceedings were brought under Part III of the Family Law Act 1995. That legislation allows Irish courts, in defined circumstances, to make financial orders after a divorce abroad. The judge stressed that the case was not simply enforcement of the English judgment, although the extent of C.K.'s non-compliance was a central statutory consideration.
The court found that C.K.'s disclosure of his finances had been seriously inadequate. It concluded that he owned 100% of DJ Limited and the director's loan owed by that company, held 50% interests in two other companies, and had beneficial interests in several Dublin properties. The judge said she had little confidence that the full extent of his wealth had been disclosed.
The court transferred the entire beneficial interest in the DJ Limited director's loan and all shares in the company to D.F. DJ Limited is to be liquidated, sold or otherwise disposed of, with net proceeds after lawful liabilities divided 75% to D.F. and 25% to C.K. Similar 75/25 sale orders were made for two identified Dublin properties.
Other assets were left with C.K. to ensure provision for both parties. Existing maintenance orders remain in force until the new orders are fully implemented. The English judgment itself was left untouched, with sums recovered in Ireland to be credited against it.