Calum Smith

Calum Smith

Calum Smith is a specialist financial remedies practitioner with a particular interest in the concept of matrimonialisation. Calum was listed as a &ls...

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Final Reflections on Standish: Was It All Worthwhile?

Final Reflections on Standish: Was It All Worthwhile?

If asked, Mr Standish may say that three rounds of litigation, with another to follow, were worth it – Mrs Standish, perhaps not. But for lawyers, with many questions left unanswered, and a feeling that the opportunity to settle the law on matrimonialisation with clarity and certainty has passed us by,

Source not Title: Some First Reflections on Standish

Source not Title: Some First Reflections on Standish

On 15 and 16 November 2023, Standish v Standish came before a Court of Appeal comprising King, Moylan and Phillips LJJ. 189 days later, Moylan LJ delivered the court’s unanimous decision: Mrs Standish’s (‘W’) appeal was dismissed, and Mr Standish’s (‘H’) appeal allowed, subject to the matter

Cazalet v Abu-Zalaf [2023] EWCA Civ 1065

Judgment date: 22 September 2023 https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2023/1065.html King, Moylan and Peter Jackson LJJ. An appeal brought against the decision of Mostyn J – summarised by Henry Pritchard – concerning the approach the court should take when faced with an application to rescind a

Goddard-Watts – The Second Sequel: Fraud Unravels All, Sometimes

Goddard-Watts – The Second Sequel: Fraud Unravels All, Sometimes

The words ‘Goddard-Watts’ may cause a feeling of déjà vu for financial remedy practitioners. After their separation and divorce (in 2009 and 2010, respectively) the parties settled by consent the financial relief claims arising from their divorce in 2010. Subsequently, it was found on two separate occasions that the husband

Rose v Rose & Ors [2022] EWFC 192

Judgment date: 25 November 2022 https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWFC/HCJ/2022/192.html His Honour Judge Booth (sitting as a Judge of the High Court pursuant to s 9 SCA 1981). How should the court ‘deal with a respondent husband who has been dishonest throughout, has failed

James v Seymour [2023] EWHC 844 (Fam)

Judgment date: 19 April 2023 https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/fam/2023/844 Mostyn J. An appeal concerning the correct approach to the calculation of child maintenance liability in which Mostyn J adds to the ever-expanding repository of family law acronyms. The mother ('M') and father ('

Xanthopoulos v Rakshina [2023] EWFC 50

Judgment date: 04 April 2023 https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewfc/2023/50 Sir Jonathan Cohen. The latest and, one hopes, final episode in a legal saga involving financial remedy, jurisdiction and children litigation spaning 60 hearings between Russia and England, in which H alone had sought counsel and legal