This was a rehearing of the H’s financial remedies application, the initial proceedings having been litigated in the Court of Appeal, with the lead judgment having been given by Moylan LJ.
The main issue in the case was the W’s significant non-matrimonial assets, which consisted of the W’s Singapore Central Provident Fund (CPF), a retirement scheme with complex features (which had been inadvertently misunderstood in the initial proceedings), and her two properties in Singapore and Malaysia.
The Wife was successful at the rehearing, the Court recognising her very significant unmatched contributions by way of her Singapore CPF fund and her two properties. The Husband was awarded 27% of the total assets (48% of the matrimonial assets), a fair outcome which reflected the W’s significant non-matrimonial assets. The award enabled the Wife to retain her Singapore CPF retirement funds in full, as well as her two properties abroad.
The Judge also rejected the H’s application for costs against the W for aspects of the appeal to the Court of Appeal.
The W was represented by a new firm of solicitors and counsel (Ms Lee) at this re-hearing. In his Judgment, HHJ Rogers observed that the W “had the advantage of Ms Lee’s advocacy at this hearing”, that he was “grateful to Ms Lee for the clarity and thoughtfulness of her documents and submissions and for her conduct of the case in court” and that Jennifer’s “cross examination of H was skilful and professional.”
Jennifer Lee was instructed by Stuart Clark and Beth Duffy of Rayden Solicitors.
The full Judgment is available here.
