Lottery Winner Pays Ex £2m

A multi-million lottery winner has agreed to pay a slice of his winnings to his ex-wife in an out-of-court settlement. This was despite the fact that the marriage ended 10 years ago.

In February, Nigel Page won £56m on the Euro Millions lottery. On hearing of his good fortune his ex-wife, Wendy, sued Mr Page for £8m. Having rejected an earlier offer of £1m, Mrs Page eventually agreed to accept £2m in settlement of her claim.

This case is a yet another example of the importance of making sure that all loose ends are properly dealt with on a divorce. Failure to do this may result in a party facing new claims years after the divorce when the parties have gone their separate ways and made new lives for themselves. Such claims are often triggered by a change in circumstances, such as one party receiving an inheritance, getting a much better paid job or, as in this case, winning the lottery. Whenever possible, it is always better to go for a "clean-break" settlement where the parties' claims against each other are dealt with on a once-and-for-all basis.

If you would like to know more, please contact Mary Banham-Hall or Dawn Millar.

Filed: 23/11/2010 12:34:28