Strike it (Un)lucky

It has been reported today that a husband spent his game show winnings so that his estranged wife would not receive a penny. According to the Daily Mail, Mr Brown used the winnings to pay debts, fund his divorce and provide for his children.



Within the financial proceedings, Mrs Brown has allegedly applied for an injunction to freeze Mr Brown’s assets to prevent him spending the remainder of the money. The court has ordered Mr Brown to provide a complete breakdown as to how the money has been spent. Whilst some may have sympathy with Mr Brown’s actions, couples do sometimes come unstuck with such an approach.



The court in deciding financial matters on divorce will have regard to the resources of the husband and wife. Game show winnings would therefore fall into this category. Most cases are decided by the couple’s needs. If the game show winnings would have enabled the couple to meet their future financial requirements, the spouse spending the money could be criticised for doing so and the other spouse may receive more of the remaining assets as a result.



In such circumstances it is important to seek specialist advice to avoid running into difficulties. At Pannone we have a team of specialist family lawyers who are very experienced at dealing with such matters.



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