Ex- husband Wins Lottery Prize Share
Family
Comment | 24 October 2011
In the first ruling on the treatment of lottery prize money in financial remedy
proceedings following a divorce, the High Court in London has awarded a
hotel porter £85,000 of his ex-wife’s £500,000 National Lottery windfall.
More than a decade ago, the woman had unilaterally bought a lottery ticket
from her own income without the knowledge of her husband. The Judge ruledt hat in these circumstances, her prize money belonged to her alone and constituted “non-matrimonial property”. However, when she used £275,000 of her winnings to purchase a family home, the wife converted that sum of her non-matrimonial property into matrimonial property.
The couple, both in their 50s, were married more than 25 years ago and
separated several years ago. However, as the couple had only lived in the
new family home together for three years, the Judge ruled that the husband
was not entitled to “anything like” an equal share of its value.
For further information please contact a member of the Schillings’
Family Team on 020 7034 9000.
