DSD v MJW (Costs of MPS) [2025] EWFC 119 (B)24 April 2025

DDJ David Hodson. Proportionality and maintenance pending suit (MPS), a cautionary tale. In this case the DDJ concluded that the game was very much not worth the candle, and the application turned out to be very costly for the applicant wife.

• Cases

• Interim Relief
• Maintenance Pending Suit

• Elizabeth Bowden

Legal Research, AI and the Canary in the Mineshaft

One of the sobering experiences of training to be a lawyer – the dawning realisation that it isn’t all dramatic cross-examination and fighting for the underdog – is legal research. Like learning a new language (let’s say, German), it’s a long and often tedious process. Some trainees, admittedly, seem to enjoy the tedium more than others. I was firmly in the ‘not enjoying this tedium’ camp.

• Blog

• AI

• Alexander Chandler KC

!09/05/2025 09:04

Standish – Reporting Remotely from the Front Line

On Wednesday 30 April 2025 I was sat at home in London, feeling somewhat retired but eager to know what the Supreme Court has to say about matrimonialisation of property and the sharing principle. So too were Mr and Mrs Standish.

• Blog

• Sharing Principle
• Gifts

• Holly Symonds

!02/05/2025 11:11

Judicial Immunity: an Update

A decision in Australia in August 2023 held that a family court judge at first instance had no judicial immunity when taking a decision outside his power and distinctive family court jurisdiction and was liable in damages to one of the parties. I wrote an extensive article and commentary for the Financial Remedy Journal. The case has now gone to appeal to Australia’s highest court, and it has been held that the previous decision was wrong and the judge and others acting on his orders do have immunity. This important decision may well be followed in other common law jurisdictions. This summarises the position.

• Blog

• Judicial Immunity

• Professor David Hodson OBE KC(Hons) MCIArb

!06/05/2025 07:00

VTY v GDB [2025] EWFC 110 (B)24 April 2025

Recorder Taylor. Final hearing in a financial remedy application which concerned issues of non-disclosure and allegations of asset concealment in different countries. The matter also involved foreign litigation which appeared to undermine the existing proceedings in this jurisdiction. The parties married in 1999 and have two adult children and one aged 16. The family structure was a traditional one with H being the breadwinner and W the homemaker.

• Cases

• Foreign Assets
• Non-Disclosure
• Chattels
• Adverse Inferences
• School Fees
• Fraud
• Costs
• Duxbury Capitalisation
• Debts
• Foreign Judgments

• Stephanie Coker