Divorce my wife? I did that 12 years ago, claims rich Russian

 A wealthy Russian businessman has told a judge he cannot divorce his estranged wife because he already did so 12 years ago.

The man, who is involved in Russia’s oil industry and has a home in Switzerland, says they divorced in Russia more than a decade ago. His wife, who lives in England, says she knew nothing about a divorce until she came across documents in a safe.

She claims he obtained a “fraudulent” divorce in Russia and says she should be allowed to launch divorce proceedings in England, where a divorce court judge could then make decisions about the division of money.

Mrs Justice Parker has now been asked to decide whether or not the couple are already divorced in the Family Division of the High Court in London.

She said she had to decide whether or not the divorce granted in Moscow in Nov 2006 should stand.

The judge, who says “vast amounts” are at stake, is expected to make a decision later in the year following a further hearing.

She has ruled that the family in the case cannot be identified.

“This is a very hardfought case with vast amounts at stake on both sides,” said Mrs Justice Parker yesterday.

“The husband is adamant … that they were agreeable to divorce – and the required practice of the Russian court was complied with.”

She added: “It is the wife’s case that she never knew there was a divorce until she discovered documents in a safe kept by the husband in a property in Russia.”

A previous legal fight over the couple’s custody of their two teenage sons ran up lawyers’ fees close to £1 million.