TY - JOUR
AU - Goldsworth, John
AB - William Congreve (1670–1729) expressed a current situation: “Sharper: Thus grief still treads upon the heels of pleasure: Married in haste, we may repent at leisure. Setter: Some by experience find those words misplaced: At leisure married, they repent in haste. The Old Bachelor (1693) act 5, sc. I; see Byron 181:30, Proverbs 626:17” Such sentiments underline a continuing criticism of the Court of Appeal's decision in Charman v Charman [2007] EWCA Civ 503. A Law Society review produces a comment showing how this dilemma may be avoided. Damian Baron, head of family law at Napthens in Preston, has come up with some sensible advice. Although clients are being advised to have a pre-nuptial agreement, that advice is followed by the warnings that the court can, and probably will, tear them up in any ensuing divorce proceedings. This leads to the next suggestion that it is possible that wealthy, or potentially wealthy, clients should not marry at all. He recalls that a couple of years ago two clients in their 20's sought his advice. They were both engaged to be married and about to receive the family business worth about £7 million. They are still single following the advice that what might happen if things went wrong. And more recent advice, supported by that of counsel, where a wealthy individual considered marrying a younger partner was that if he wished to achieve a certainty of protection then he should not get married at all. The matter may now, however, lay fallow for some time. The next crucial point is when a spouse, who has done surprisingly well out of one divorce, remarries and then finds himself or herself on a losing side in a subsequent divorce! © The Author (2007). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
TI - Marry in haste, repent at leisure
JO - Trust and Trustees
DO - 10.1093/tandt/ttm103
DA - 2007-11-01
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/oxford-university-press/marry-in-haste-repent-at-leisure-uwsSzR9Izg
SP - 555
EP - 555
VL - 13
IS - 9
DP - DeepDyve
ER -