Record British Divorce Payout

Record British Divorce Payout

The ex-wife of Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky paid tribute to the “superb” English legal system after achieving a £220m settlement – a record for a British divorce payout.

Mr Berezovsky, 64, whose fortune is estimated at £550m agreed to what was described as an "amicable settlement" after admitting unreasonable behaviour.  He said "I have always believed in British justice and yet again I have been proved right."

His now former wife, Miss Besharova commented “With the expert assistance of our legal teams, Boris and I were able to achieve such fairness.”  The exact terms of the settlement are confidential but it is understood that her award includes cash, stocks and shares and the penthouse near Kensington Palace in London where she lives.

The couple had been married for 18 years, but separated after just two years. For the past 16 years Mr Berezovsky has lived with his girlfriend, Yelena Gorbunova, 42 with whom he has two children and plans to marry.

Miss Besharova, who has two children by the oil millionaire, is said to have filed for divorce only after becoming irritated that Miss Gorbunova was constantly referred to as Mr Berezovsky's "wife". The couple were granted a divorce in just 45 seconds at a High Court hearing exactly a year ago.

Mrs Justice Eleanor King in the High Court Family Division said "It does not matter whether the awards are thousands of pounds or hundreds of millions of pounds. At the end of the day if the husband and wife can reach agreement they can both live with, it bodes much better for their future welfare and for the children of the family and to continue working for the benefit of all of them."

It makes pleasant change for a case such as this to be reported so positively.  It illustrates that even in “big money” cases the parties can reach an amicable agreement with the assistance of trusted legal advisors who collaborate and focus upon the best interests of their clients as opposed to point-scoring in the court room and running up excessive legal costs.

One of the non-litigious options available to clients wishing to resolve financial or children matters is Collaborative Law.   

For more information about this case or for advice on Family Law contact Lisa Kemp.

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