0800 731 5821

  • ‘Donna Downes is a very senior and experienced family lawyer. Her reputation with the courts and associated professionals is second to none. She provides excellent support in relation to case preparation and is always on top of the copious amounts of evidence produced in public law children proceedings.’

  • ‘Donna Downes is the go to solicitor for public law children cases in Hertfordshire. Her knowledge and experience of representing parties in cases involving children who have suffered non-accidental injury, death and neglect is second to none. Her representation of vulnerable parents and young people is second to none. She is collaborative when needed but always robust in putting the needs of her clients first. Her attention to detail is impressive but her case management is tempered by the human experience making her an outstanding lawyer.’

  • ‘An excellent and well polished family law team. Instructed by guardians in complex and difficult matters. I dedicated and hard-working set who has a good market share of public law proceedings.’

  • ‘Donna Downes is an outstanding solicitor who works tirelessly for her clients and has an excellent grasp of the legalities in the cases which she is involved. She has excellent contacts and respect with experts and is able to manage brilliantly the task of arranging experts and professionals to be trial ready. She is the shining gem of Collins family law.’

  • ‘Donna Downes is a formidable mentor and exceptional lawyer. She is committed to provide legal representation to protect children from significant harm such as honour based violence, child sexual abuse, non-accidental injury, gang violence, drug and alcohol addiction, physical and emotional abuse, neglect.'

  • 'Danielle Messenger is meticulous in her preparation and is highly regarded for her robust, calm and approachable manner. She is equipped to litigate on such matters or creatively negotiate the terms of settlement.’

  • ‘Danielle Messenger was excellent from start to finish. Very professional. Explained everything I didn’t understand very clearly. Was easy to get hold of and no issue to big or small. Went above and beyond and made sure no stone was ever unturned. Would highly recommend her for family court. ’

  • ‘Danielle Messenger was absolutely magnificent throughout and really helped me cope with a very complex divorce and supported me personally and professionally. She was efficient, quick, direct and very thorough making the process less stressful for me and concluded speedily.’

  • The team led by Donna Downes is superbly organised.
  • Donna Downes is a force of nature! She is supremely organised, thorough and with an exceptional attention to detail that never compromises the bigger picture. Her negotiation skills are great.
  • I would not hesitate in recommending you to anyone requiring first class conveyancing services.
  • Done quickly and Paul was a pleasure to deal with.
  • Sympathetic to a difficult situation.
  • Kept me informed at all times and I could always talk to somebody.
  • Very pleased with the service, which lacked unnecessary formality and was professional throughout.
  • Donna will always go above and beyond on any case she is working on.
  • Excellent communication and advice.
  • You could not improve your service, it was excellent throughout.
About Collins Law
next-step-cta

Ready to take the next step?

Advice is available by either calling us on 0800 731 5821, or email us at collins@collinslaw.co.uk, tweet us at @collins_law.

Home > News > Wife awarded £1,000 monthly after husband lied in divorce hearing

Wife awarded £1,000 monthly after husband lied in divorce hearing

A judge has ordered a man to pay his former wife £1,000 a month after branding his conduct during divorce proceedings one of the worst examples of dishonesty seen by the court.

District Judge Ashby ruled that the husband had persistently lied about his finances and lifestyle, showing “absolutely no respect for the authority of the court or this process”.

The case concerned financial remedy proceedings between a woman, aged 34, and her former husband, aged 30, following their separation in June 2021. Both had previously been declared bankrupt and had no property assets at the time of their divorce.

During the hearing, the court was told that the husband continued to run a bulldog breeding business post-separation and lived a lifestyle that included luxury holidays and designer clothing. However, he failed to provide basic documentation such as a P60 or accurate tax records.

Judge Ashby said the husband’s Form E financial statement was “a fairytale, bearing absolutely no resemblance to the truth”, adding: “Rarely have I encountered a situation where such continuous brazen lies have been pursued before the court in this kind of manner.”

Despite the judge’s serious criticisms, no lump sum was awarded, as there were few available matrimonial assets at the time of separation. Instead, the court ordered the husband to make monthly periodical payments of £1,000 to the wife until the youngest of their two children reaches the age of 18 or completes full-time university education, up to a maximum of 21. The payments are to be linked to the Retail Price Index.

The wife has the children for around 60% of the time and has a lower earning capacity. The judge calculated the husband’s true income to be at least £150,000 a year, though he had attempted to suggest far less.

Describing the husband’s conduct as “perhaps the worst” example of dishonesty encountered in such proceedings, Judge Ashby ordered him to pay the wife’s legal costs in full.

Please contact us if you would like more information about the issues raised in this article or any aspect of family law.

Source:

Wife awarded £1,000 monthly after husband lied in divorce hearing
Miss Hannah Jane MacQueen and Mr Nicholas Daniel Regan MacQueen
Family Court
District Judge Ashby
9 February, 2024
Heard on 8 and 9 February, 2024

Collins Solicitors
20 Station Road,
Watford,
Herts
WD17 1AR
T: 01923 223324
DX: 51516 Watford 2
E: collins@collinslaw.co.uk
VAT Registration No: 653 3264 44
twitter-footer facebook-footer
accreditations accreditations
Downloads:

• Terms of Business • Terms of Business for public inquiry work • Data Protection Policy

Collins Solicitors is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority Number: 79933