Divorcing? Supreme Court clarifies what must be shared and what stays yours

Landmark ruling is especially important to high net worth divorce cases and those with pre-marital assets.

Written by Gavin Edmondson | Published: 3 July 2025, last updated: 14 April 2026
Solicitor Advocate & Principal, Gavin Edmondson Solicitors

The Supreme Court has issued a landmark judgment in the case of Standish v Standish, marking a turning point in how the courts decide which assets are matrimonial and which are non-matrimonial during divorce.

This is an extremely useful Judgment for resolving this issue, meaning that unless assets have been “mingled” or shared during the marriage (for example by being used to purchase the family home or put towards joint expenses), they are more likely to be protected. These are what is known as “mingling arguments” to family and divorce lawyers.

So what does the ruling mean for you?

Put simply, the ruling means that in a marriage, if one party is wealthier than the other, and brings significantly more to the marriage in terms of money or assets, it will now be much harder for the poorer party to attempt to stake a claim over those assets, especially if they have been kept separate.

If you’re unsure how this ruling might affect your property or financial settlement, we can help…feel free to get in touch for a short, free consultation.

You can also read the coverage of this case in the Law Society Gazette here.