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Billionaire Fails to Keep Divorce Details Confidential

The confidential details of what could be the largest divorce case to ever be handled by the English court system has been leaked to the media.

Sir Chris Hohn, the billionaire in charge of The Children’s Investment Fund, is in the midst of a bitter $1.3 billion divorce case after being married for 17 years and raising four children with his former spouse. He had tried to obtain a reporting ban on the hearing determining the division of assets in the hopes of keeping the proceedings and confidentiality agreements from being widely shared.

The judge ruled against the reporting ban, however, on the grounds that it was too extensive. The ruling was an important one, as it significantly expands the news media’s ability to report on the division of finances in similar high-profile divorces. In addition, the justice offered the specific values of the couple’s assets, including properties worth $36 million and pension assets worth $85 million, highlighting the fact that divorce is often no longer a private affair.

No matter how much money you have at stake in a divorce, you always want to know that your personal information is being kept confidential. Divorce cases often require the airing of very personal details about your family circumstances and financial situation. In Florida, most family law matters are considered public court cases, open to the attendance of both community and media members, and your pleadings are typically available for the public to request to view.  However, recent changes in the law provide that confidential information filed with the Court system, such as social security numbers, dates of birth, and children’s names, should be omitted from public Court filings.

Additionally, the court can seal pleadings and proceedings to keep certain information confidential under certain limited circumstances. If you are interested in pursuing this option to protect the privacy of your family, consult a Jacksonville family law attorney at Combs Greene.

Florida family law attorney Andrea Jevic also contributed to this post.

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