Millionaire Divorces Wife, Asks Her To Stay On As Housekeeper

A London millionaire had a unique concept of domestic bliss: Divorce his wife, move his girlfriend into the home, and ask the ex to stay on as the housekeeper.The ex-wife took a dim view of this arrangement, as did a British judge, who awarded half the man’s fortune to her.The couple married in the late 1970s and divorced about 20 years later. Treating the divorce decree as “just a piece of paper,” they continued to live together.This arrangement changed drastically when the wealthy businessman, who is in his 70s, met another woman. According to the presiding judge, “The husband installed the other woman and her 12-year-old daughter into the marital home. When the man asked his former wife, who is in her 50s, if she would remain in the home ‘as some sort of housekeeper,’ she found the suggestion ‘very demeaning and upsetting.’”The dispute wound up in court, leaving the millionaire bewildered that his ex-wife had become so aggressive. He previously had threatened to take his own life or go on a hunger strike if she pursued legal action, but that claim apparently was insufficient to dissuade her from asserting her rights through her lawyers.Ultimately the judge ruled that under these unusual circumstances, there was no difference between couple’s relationship pre- or post-divorce and that the ex-wife was entitled to half of the businessman’s fortune, which totals about $22 million in US dollars.The judge also set aside a signed agreement between the two that would have netted the wife/cohabitant about $6 million on grounds that she signed it under duress.Commenting that the length of this living arrangement is generally unheard of, a UK family law expert noted that “if a person did not make a financial claim on their partner at the time of the divorce they are entitled to do so at any point before they are remarried” and that the spousal assets are more likely to be split 50-50 after a long marriage (or perhaps in this case, a marriage-plus).If you divorced your spouse after a long-term relationship, are there any circumstances in which you would continue living together and also postpone a financial settlement?(inquisitr.com)ANN.Az