Divorce legal costs have come under the spotlight as a Hight Court Judge expressed concern at the “apocalyptic” legal bill facing a divorcing couple.
Mr Justice Mostyn is ruling on divorce proceedings between Russian businesswoman Alla Rakshina and her Greek ex-husband, Lazaros Xanthopoulos. The case, being heard in London, began on 21 September 2020 and involves disputes over money and the former couple’s children.
Within a year and a half alone, lawyers’ fees have already reached £5.4m. Justice Mostyn said the divorce may cost the former couple between £7.2m and £8m in total legal costs, a level he considers to be hard to accept, even among the super-rich. The judge said the “only word” he could think of to describe the level of legal fees was “apocalyptic”.
The judge suggested “steps must be taken” and that Lord Chancellor Dominic Raab should consider whether measures could be introduced to “limit the scale and rate of costs” in such cases.
He said: “In my opinion the Lord Chancellor should consider whether statutory measures could be introduced which limit the scale and rate of costs run up in these cases.”
Author
Gill Laing is a qualified Legal Researcher & Analyst with niche specialisms in Law, Tax, Human Resources, Immigration & Employment Law.
Gill is a Multiple Business Owner and the Managing Director of Prof Services - a Marketing Agency for the Professional Services Sector.
