Defending marital assets from an accusation of bigamy

Dean acted for the husband in a financial dispute following a long marriage in excess of 15 years.

The wife’s position was that the fact that the husband had committed bigamy by remarrying prior to their divorce amounted to conduct that the court should take into consideration when dividing the marital assets, and that she should be awarded a greater share than would otherwise be the case.

Following a contested final hearing Dean successfully argued that the husband’s bigamy was not such as to impact the division of the assets between the parties. Dean’s client was awarded the sum to which he would otherwise have been entitled.