In the summer update, Ellie Hampson-Jones delivers a bumper Standish v Standish special
- The Supreme Court has clarified that non-matrimonial property—including assets acquired before the marriage—should generally be excluded from the sharing principle in divorce settlements.
- The judgment reinforced the distinction between matrimonial and non-matrimonial property, stating that the source of the wealth, not the title or transfer process, determines its classification.
- The ruling provides a clearer framework for family law and wealth management practitioners, particularly regarding how non-matrimonial assets may become matrimonial through shared treatment over time.
On 30 April and 1 May 2025, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom heard the appeal of Mrs Standish against the decision of the Court of Appeal to reduce her divorce award by 45%, from £45m to £25m, the largest ever amount by percentage and value. On 2 July 2025, just two months after the hearing, the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed Mrs Standish’s appeal ([2025] UKSC 26).
This is the first case since White v White [2001] 1 AC 596 and Miller v Miller; McFarlane v McFarlane [2006]
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