Man ordered to pay ex-wife more money 30 years after divorce
July 4th, 2007
A wealthy retired builder was ordered to pay more money to the woman he divorced nearly 30 years ago after a judge heard she had “fallen on hard times”, the Court of Appeal was told yesterday.
Dennis North, 70, began his appeal against the award, which was made by a district judge last year. He has been ordered to pay his unfaithful wife £202,000 – nearly 30 years after divorcing her.
The now retired builder married his first wife Jean, 61, in 1964 and they divorced in 1978, a year after he found out that she was having an affair with the man she later went to live with.
In 1981 he made a financial settlement with her, buying her a house and investments. Over the years, he increased her assets so that she would be able to live comfortably for the rest of her life, the appeal judges were told.
But in 1999, she sold up and moved to Australia, and her capital dwindled because of bad investments and because of what the court heard was a ‘lifestyle beyond her means’.
Since divorcing his first wife, he had prospered and is now estimated to be worth between £5 million and £11 million, the court was told.
A district judge agreed in April that her money troubles had nothing to do with her former husband and that he had no further responsibility towards her, but awarded her £202,000.
His barrister, Philip Moor QC, told the court Mr North raised the three children of the marriage and later had two children by his second wife.
Mr Moor said Mrs North had made no attempt to find a job since 1977, when she was 32.
The woman cheated on her husband, walked out on her children, refused to lift a finger to help herself and moved to Australia to live the high life, funded by the money her husband provided to set her up for life and the district judge awarded her more money 30 years after the divorce?!!
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