Eri Horrocks comments on the Supreme Court’s Standish v Standish ruling in The Law Society Gazette
Eri’s comments were published in The Law Society Gazette, 7 July 2025, and can be seen here.
Eri Horrocks, Senior Associate in our Family department, has commented on the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Standish v Standish, which has reshaped the legal landscape around non-matrimonial property in divorce proceedings.
The court ruled that the “sharing principle” does not apply to assets that were never treated as shared during the marriage, even if transferred between spouses.
The case involved a £77.8 million transfer from Clive Standish to his then-wife Anna as part of a tax planning scheme. Despite the transfer, the court found no evidence that the couple treated the assets as jointly owned. As a result, 75% of the assets were deemed non-matrimonial and excluded from division, reducing the wife’s award from £45 million to £25 million.
Eri notes that the judgment “provides welcome clarity” for high-net-worth individuals and family lawyers, particularly around the concept of “matrimonialisation”. She emphasises the importance of documenting the intent behind asset transfers during marriage, especially in cases involving tax planning or inheritance.
The ruling is expected to influence how courts assess asset ownership and sharing in future divorces, reinforcing the need for clear financial planning and legal advice throughout a marriage.
Read the full article on The Law Society Gazette website [external link].