Women barristers make legal history

TWO Manchester-based barristers have become the first all-female legal team to take a matrimonial case to the Supreme Court.

Sally Harrison QC and Samantha Hilas, both of St John’s Buildings in Manchester, represented Varsha Gohil.

Mrs Gohil is contesting her original divorce settlement of £270,000 after lower courts found her husband had deliberately hidden the true extent of his wealth.  

In 2010 her former husband, Bhadresh Gohil, was jailed for 10 years for fraud and money laundering amounting to around £35m.  

She was granted permission to take her case to the Supreme Court together with Alison Sharland, another divorcee whose husband was found to have hidden substantial assets.

The case could open up a radical change in the way courts handle divorce payouts in cases based on false or incomplete financial information.

Harrison said: “Despite these findings, Varsha Gohil has no financial remedy to secure a fair distribution of the assets which the parties owned in 2004.

“Throughout the proceedings the husband denied that he had any assets, so the wife would be deprived of a fair hearing and a fair outcome if the order were to stand.”

Harrison specialises in financial provision on divorce in big money cases and those involving family businesses, trusts and inherited wealth.

Samantha Hillas specialises in all aspects of financial proceedings upon relationship breakdown.

St John’s Buildings is a chambers with offices in Manchester, Liverpool, Chester and Sheffield.