Settlement Could Be The Biggest In British Legal History

The former wife of a Ukrainian oligarch could be on course to set a new record for England’s largest divorce settlement, after applying to switch the proceedings from Portugal to London.

Tatyana Franchuk, an ex-model who now works as an art dealer, married construction tycoon Manuel Couto Alves in his native Portugal in 2009.

However, she has a house in the UK and her two teenage children from her first marriage attend school there, the Daily Mail reports, raising the possibility of relocating the case.

Friends also said she believes she will receive fairer treatment by moving the case to London than she would get in Portugal.

It is believed the divorce settlement could top £100m. If the final figure exceeds this, it would eclipse what is believed to be the current record for the biggest settlement in British legal history, set by oligarch Boris Berezovsky's ex-wife Galina Besharov in 2011.

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Expert Opinion

Several high profile divorces of international couples have been brought to the divorce courts in London by spouses who believe they will receive a larger financial settlement than that which might be awarded to them by the court in the country where they reside. <br/> <br/>"Applications for a divorce to be heard in another country are often referred to as ‘forum shopping’ or 'divorce tourism'. London is a preferred destination as there is a perception that the wide discretion available to a Judge when applying English law may result in a higher settlement than other jurisdictions around the world. <br/> <br/>"Ms Franchuk began proceedings in Portugal and is now applying for it to be moved to the UK. A decision has not yet been reached in respect of her application, but a case of this nature demonstrates why it is vital for international clients to seek urgent advice from expert family lawyers if there is a possible choice of jurisdiction in which a divorce could take place."