High Court Judge Reveals Concerns Over Ongoing Case

A High Court judge has revealed his “despair” at a divorce battle still in its early stages in which a wealthy family is “tearing itself apart”.

Mr Justice Holman made the comments in a written ruling related to a legal point in the case of Shield v Shield, in which a couple who own reported more than £50 million of business and property are divorcing after more than 40 years of marriage.

The couple, who have two children, are thought to have already accrued costs of £700,000 in relation to the case despite it not yet reaching a stage for a preliminary issue to be decided.

Mr Justice Holman said: “This family appears to be tearing itself apart, and it fills the sympathetic but detached observer such as myself with nothing but despair.”

He added that the couple should make a “sustained attempt” to work together to resolve the “awful conflict”.

Expert Opinion

While this is somewhat of an extreme example, this kind of case does demonstrate how bitter disputes in divorce battles can prove both time-consuming and costly to the couple looking to finalise their separation. <br/> <br/>"The breakdown of a relationship is of course difficult for all involved, but we would always encourage couples to consider all of their options when it comes to agreeing how to split assets in the event of divorce. <br/> <br/>"Alternative ways to resolve such disputes can include the use of mediation, collaborative law or even arbitration. If the parties are willing to go through such processes, these approaches can prove to be much more cost-effective ways to resolve the disputes they face. <br/> <br/>"In recent weeks, there has also been some debate over whether courts should do more to open their doors to the public. It would be interesting to see the impact such a move would have on cases like this and whether it may encourage divorcing couples to place more emphasis on approaches which ensure their disputes remain private."