Kathleen Wyatt, 55, first took legal action against Dale Vince, 53, founder of wind-power firm Ecotricity, in 2011 around 25 years after they separated.
A Final settlement was eventually approved in the landmark, long running and hotly contested financial remedies case which established the principle allowing spouses to bring a financial remedy despite a divorce having concluded 19 years before.
The background to the dispute is highly unusual in that Kathleen Wyatt ("the wife") issued a financial remedies claim against Mr. Vince ("the husband") 19 years after decree absolute. The other striking feature being that in the intervening period, Mr. Vince's lifestyle and wealth had changed markedly in that he had become a hugely successful business man who owned a company which had an estimated value of £57 million.
The husband's attempt to strike out the wife's claim failed at first instance but succeeded in the Court of Appeal. However, that judgment was overturned by the Supreme Court who unanimously allowed the wife's appeal against the strike out of her claim and directed that the wife's application proceed in the Family Division of the High Court.
In a judgment dated 10 June 2016, Mr. Justice Cobb confirmed that the final order settling the proceedings should be made public.
She had demanded a £1.9m payout but has been awarded a "realistic" lump sum of £300,000 by the High Court family judge.
For more information about this or any other aspect of divorce and family law, please contact Andrew Cole on 0161 665 3502.
