A recent blog from Tracey Miller, Liverpool family law expert, looked into what happened when former Pirelli supermodel Christina Estrada sought an eye-watering divorce settlement after separating from her estranged husband. Estrada was awarded a landmark settlement of £53 million, thought to be the highest ‘needs’ settlement the English courts had ever seen. This is different to the usual division of assets in British divorce cases, where in this case Ms Estrada claimed she needed the vast sum in order to maintain her current luxurious lifestyle. The court also ruled she could keep assets of her own totalling over £20 million, making the total sum an incredible £75 million.

New complications

However, shortly after the news of the record-breaking settlement was reported, Mr Juffali passed away. He had been battling terminal cancer and was said to have been receiving treatment at a Zurich clinic when he died. Crucially for the case and for Ms Estrada, who was estranged from her ex-spouse after he allegedly divorced her under Sharia law without her knowledge and married someone else, Mr Juffali’s passing came just one week before he was to pay his former wife the £53 million settlement.

It is now being reported that Ms Estrada has yet to receive the money, and even more sensationally – that Mr Juffali actually sold his assets to his three daughters under Sharia law. The Telegraph claims that a 52-page High Court judgement reveals that in 2013, Mr Juffali:

“…entered into a contract by which he purported to sell the bulk of his Saudi assets to his three daughters from his first and second marriages for just over £512 million”

A source close to Ms Estrada is also reported to have said:

“Nobody is going to get money out of Saudi Arabia because nobody gets money out of Saudi Arabia,”

“In all divorce cases where there are trusts, it is complicated to enforce. But in this case, we don’t think this case has been made any more difficult by his death. They are all grief-stricken, but the truth is people will regroup and it will get sorted.

“There is an application to set aside the contract that has been made.”

This may mean, according to the Telegraph’s source, that Ms Estrada may have to sue her own teenage daughter in order to get the money. However, the two are believed to have a very good relationship, so insiders are hopeful that this complicated and at times painful case can be settled amicably.

As one of the leading solicitors in the Wirral and surrounding areas, Tracey Miller Family Law should be your first port of call if you have questions or concerns about divorce settlements and what you’re entitled to if your relationship breaks down. Get in touch today for a friendly chat about your case.