With legal costs of £2.4 million at the time of trial, Mr and Mrs F each wanted to vary the terms of a shareholders' agreement which effectively made it impossible for their company to continue in its restricted form, following divorce. The judge did not just vary the agreement, she rescinded it so the couple could have a clean break settlement by dividing all the assets. The husband had made almost all of the money pre-marriage (it was his 3rd marriage, he was 81 at the time of the court hearing) and the wife received 36% of the assets. This case emphasises the need for divorcing clients to use law firms with family law, private client, company and commercial expertise all under the same roof.

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