Partnership with Trench & Associates

The Law Society Gazette reported on Vardags’ partnership with Dubai-based lawyers Trench & Associates. The partnership sees Vardags expand into the Middle East and heralds a ne era of expansion.

Discussing the move, Ayesha Vardag commented “The English equal sharing rule and generosity to claimant spouses means the English courts remain magnetic for the financially weaker spouse. But England is the divorce capital of the world because it’s the socio-economic capital of the world, and that could change in a heartbeat. If England drives out its monied residents and Dubai keeps on attracting the world’s super-rich with its state-of-the-art fiscal system, safe streets and superlative quality of life, it’s only a matter of time.’

She wend on to explain the differences between English and Emirati law, saying: ‘In general terms, it’s well-known that in Dubai divorcing husbands and wives keep what is theirs, with maybe a short period of financial support for wives, whereas the English courts are famous for carving up the marital pot on a 50-50 basis and making huge “needs”-based payouts even after a short marriage. Also, the Dubai divorce courts don’t deal with foreign property so if there’s something significant like a home or company abroad, say in England, that’s going to be an issue.’