Ex-wives set for more cash after husbands lied about how rich they were
LYING husbands who try to hide their cash in divorce cases face being hit by a landmark ruling.
Two ex-wives won a Supreme Court victory to have their settlements looked at again after both claimed they had been deceived.
Alison Sharland, 48, and Varsha Gohil, 50, had both reached agreements with their ex-husbands but said the men had misled judges about how much they were worth.
Mrs Sharland, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, accepted more than £10million in cash and properties from ex Charles, 54, in 2012.
She had thought his software business was valued at between £31million and £47million but the financial press put it at £1billion.
Mrs Gohil had accepted £270,000 plus a car from ex Bhadresh, 50, more than a decade ago.
The court heard he had been convicted of money laundering in 2010, involving some £50million.
Mrs Gohil sought to get a bigger payout, claiming her former husband had not disclosed his full wealth.
In a decision yesterday which could “open the floodgates”, seven Supreme Court judges unanimously allowed appeals by both women.
Mrs Sharland said: “My legal battle was not about the money – it has always been a matter of principle.”
And Mrs Gohil, from North London, said: “Spouses subject to deceit and deliberate financial skulduggery owe a huge debt of gratitude to the efforts of this legal team.”
Mr Sharland’s lawyer James Brown said his client was “disappointed”.