James Edwards looks at the Family Division’s response to HMRC's recent application for disclosure of ancillary relief hearing transcripts.
Many will be familiar with the well publicised 2006 case of Charman v Charman [2007] EWCA Civ 503 which involved the largest divorce settlement in British legal history. Mr Charman was ordered to pay his wife £48m as part of the divorce settlement.
As part of the ancillary relief application (now called ‘financial remedy’) made by Mrs Charman for a court determination on the division of marital assets a large amount of information was gathered by both parties in support of their positions. The hearing as is usual in family proceedings was heard in private but as is also usual a transcript of the hearing was taken. One of...
