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22 May 2026 / Lucy Hitchen
Issue: 8162 / Categories: Features , Family , Practice areas
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Getting away with blue murder?

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© Getty images

Lucy Hitchen ponders whether appointing an expert could have produced a different outcome in a recent case

  • Looks at MK v SK, a financial remedies case. Describes ‘blatant non-disclosure’ by the husband about his finances, and questions the judge’s decision not to appoint an expert and to anonymise the parties.
  • Notes a single joint expert could have unearthed useful information, albeit perhaps somewhat limited, but delays and costs remain significant factors.
  • Includes commentary that the threat of anonymity being waivered could act as a deterrent and encourage greater transparency from non-disclosing spouses.

Retired judge Sir Nicholas Mostyn has described a husband as getting away with ‘blue murder’, when commenting on the recent High Court decision of MK v SK [2026] EWFC 28.

In MK v SK, the sharing principle was not applied after the court struggled to obtain accurate and extensive details about the husband’s financial assets. Mr Justice Peel recognised the husband had concealed details about his wealth, but concluded the ‘better approach’ and ‘most practical’,

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NEWS
As AI chatbots increasingly provide legal and commercial advice, English law is beginning to confront who should bear responsibility when automated systems get things wrong
Businesses are facing a ‘dramatic rise in prosecution risks’ as sweeping reforms to corporate criminal liability come into force, expanding the net of who can be held responsible for wrongdoing inside organisations
The Court of Appeal’s decision in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys has reignited debate over what exactly counts as the ‘conduct of litigation’ in modern legal practice
A controversial High Court financial remedies ruling has reignited debate over secrecy, non-disclosure and fairness in divorce proceedings involving hidden wealth
Britain’s deferred prosecution agreement regime is undergoing a significant shift, with prosecutors placing renewed emphasis on corporate cooperation, reform and early self-reporting
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