Mr Justice Mostyn decided to ignore a pre-nuptial agreement between the parties in making a financial remedies award in favour of the husband.

The case involved Morgan McConnell, the great-granddaughter of the founder of Avon Products, and Anil Ipekci, whom she met when he worked as a concierge at Le Parker Meridien in New York.

The husband was advised that the pre-nuptial agreement was slanted heavily in favour of the wife. Nonetheless, he signed it on 11 November 2005 and the parties were duly married 15 days later.

Alex Carruthers commented:

“This is a further example that the English court is not bound to make an order in the same terms as a pre-nuptial agreement. They provide a good defence to financial claims but in certain circumstances, a court will make orders that are different to them.”

Read Alex’s comments in Family Law Week here