Wrong couple get divorced after firm headed by ‘diva’ dissolves their marriage by mistake
A COUPLE were wrongly divorced after a firm headed by a "diva" dissolved their marriage by mistake.
Mr and Mrs Williams had their separation finalised in just 21 minutes - without either of them being present - in a huge blunder by elite family law firm Vardag.
The pair, who decided to end their 21-year marriage in 2023, were amicably in the process of splitting their assets and coming to an agreement on finances when bungling lawyers made the mistake.
A senior judge has since refused to overturn it despite agreements not being settled.
Staff at Vardag, headed by the UK's self-proclaimed "diva of divorce" Ayesha Vardag, were still learning the new online divorce registration system in October last year, it is said.
Solicitors representing Mrs Williams decided to use the system “without the instruction or authority of their client”, a High Court heard.
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Judge Sir Andrew McFarlane said lawyers believed they were making an application for another couple at the time - but actually registered the Williamses case instead.
Three days later, the mistake was noticed and solicitors at London-based Vardag applied to the High Court to retract the final divorce order.
In Ms Vardag's explanation to the court, she said an employee “had intended to apply for a final order of divorce for another client, in a different divorce case, but inadvertently opened the electronic case file in Williams v Williams and proceeded to apply for a final order in that case”.
Mr McFarlane rejected Mrs Williams' application for the order to be set aside so they could continue negotiations.
He said there was “a strong public policy interest in respecting the certainty and finality that flows from a final divorce order and maintaining the status quo that it has established”.
Ms Vardag said the ruling was a "bad decision" because “the state can’t be divorcing people just because of an online clerical error”, reports The Times.
She added: "There has to be intention on the part of the couple. When it’s brought to the court’s attention that it was a mistake, and everyone accepts that, obviously it has to be undone.
"The principle of intention underpins the justice of our legal system."
The Sun has contacted firm Vardag for comment.
What legal protections does being married give you?
ONCE you're married, finances and assets usually become shared.
So what are the benefits of tying the knot and how are you legally protected?
According to firm Simpson Millar, the key legal benefits are:
Inheritance Rights
Married couples automatically inherit a partner's estate under the Rules of Intestacy.
Parental Responsibility
Married couples have automatic parental responsibility whereas couple who are not married may have to acquire it through other ways. E.g. name on a birth certificate.
Marriage Tax Breaks
Marriage Allowance benefits couples where one partner is a non-taxpayer and the other is a basic rate taxpayer.
It means you can transfer 10 per cent of the non-taxpayer's Personal Tax Allowance to the taxpayer - reducing their tax.
Inheritance Tax Exemption
Married couples don't pay Inheritance Tax on assets passed between them.
Joint Ownership of Assets
In the event of separation, assets are divided fairly.
Financial Settlements
Assets such as pensions, savings, investments, and property may be part of a financial settlement if you were to get a divorce.
Prenuptial or Postnuptial Agreements
You can outline asset distributions prior to marriage in case of a separation.