Vardags’ director Georgina Hamblin has been interviewed by Lexis PSL on the impact the explosive leak of Mossack Fonseca documents might have on divorce proceedings for high and ultra-high net worth individuals.
Georgina highlighted the way that the leaks could highlight non-disclosure in already concluded proceedings, leading to cases being reopened following the decisions in Sharland v Sharland and Gohil v Gohil, saying that "the Panama Papers could very well be the motivation that many have been waiting for to restart their hunt for hidden wealth".
Drawing on her expertise from a number of high value cases, Georgina discussed the steps some parties take to disguise their wealth and the steps the English courts take to fight this, pointing out the "tremendous powers to undo transactions designed to defeat matrimonial claims, add assets back to the asset schedule (even if they have been spent), and ultimately, send people to prison for non-disclosure".
Reflecting on her own cases, Georgina observed that "extensive financial research, forensic work and enforcement applications" provided by Vardags’ in house forensic team could see "cases turned on their heads".
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