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19 September 2025 / Emma Brunning , Dharshica Thanarajasingham
Issue: 8131 / Categories: Features , Family , Disclosure , Divorce , Costs
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Marital assets: Stormy waters?

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A port, a masterclass in gaslighting, & identifying assets acquired post-separation: Emma Brunning & Dharshica Thanarajasingham present TF v SF
  • In TF v SF, the husband’s dishonesty, including hiding £9.5m arising from a port deal. His evidence in court was called out as a ‘masterclass in gaslighting’.
  • Despite being acquired post-separation, the port’s value was deemed rooted in marital assets and efforts, leading to the wife receiving 43% of total assets.
  • The court penalised the husband’s obstructive behaviour with cost orders and asset valuation adjustments, while embracing tech-savvy trial management to streamline proceedings.

The long-running case of TF v SF [2025] EWHC 1659 (Fam) (in which the wife was represented by Birketts, instructing Alexander Thorpe KC and Saima Younis of QEB) centred around identifying and quantifying the parties’ assets and deciding when the value of a company owning a port was acquired and whether it is matrimonial. The matter was made more complicated by the husband’s actions and his behaviour as demonstrated at the five-day

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