It is incredible how often people believe that it is easy to fool a divorce Judge! Bear in mind that many of them have been a divorce solicitor for at least 25 years before they become Judges. We really have seen it all before by then.
Honesty and openness is the best approach. It certainly saves legal costs.
These are common misconceptions of what can be done to reduce financial settlement claims:
"I will put the house in my friends' name"
"She doesn't know about this bank account"
"I only draw about £75 pw" (when his business makes about £500 pw)
"My friend lent me £400k towards the house and now he wants it back before we split it"
"I will go bankrupt"
They are well known attempts and won't work. I read in the Daily Mail today that Lord Justice Wilson heavily criticised a man who had made himself bankrupt to try to avoid his wife's claims. The bankruptcy was reversed and a lump sum of £1million ordered. I bet the husband was ordered to pay his wife's legal bill, too.
Honesty and openness, the only way.
Andrew Woolley
Family lawyer