The Court of Appeal heard this week that Julie Sharp, who earned millions of pounds a year in salary and bonuses as an energy trader, is fighting a court decision to award her former husband, Robin Sharp, a large proportion of their £6.9m fortune. The couple were married for four years.

Alex Carruthers comments that if Ms Sharp succeeds it will create yet another point of contention for divorce lawyers. “For example, how short does a marriage need to be in order to be defined as ‘short’, and at what point is one entitled to share the money earned by the other party?

Ms Sharp is seeking to prove that the current interpretation of the law is wrong and that her settlement should be reflective of the length of their marriage and the extent to which their assets mingled . . . this is a bold tactic, but one that could save Ms Sharp a considerable sum of money.”

Read the full article in the Financial Times here.