24th May 2010

A divorce solicitor in London will appear in the Court of Appeal soon to defend her client against an appeal launched by Ilya Golubovich, the son of Russian multi-millionaires, who has had his Russian divorce decrees declared null and void by English family law courts.

A High Court judge, Mr Justice Singer, ruled earlier this year that both decrees granted in Moscow were invalid because the 24-year-old husband had made assurances to the court in England that he would not pursue a divorce while his wife, Elena, sued for divorce in London where the couple live.

Mr Golubovich had already been ordered by the High Court in London to pay his wife £300,000 in yearly maintenance until a final financial settlement agreement was ordered.

Mrs Golubovich's solicitor, Deborah Bangay QC, told the court that the husband had "embarked on a determined campaign" to delay his wife's attempts to divorce him with the "avowed intention" of ensuring that his wife and child would be "booted out of this country back to Russia".

She told the court that the wife would be penniless in Russia, while the husband, whose parents are the owners of the Russian equivalent to Tesco and the financial director of Russian oil company Yukos, would be free to stay in England and enjoy a "millionaire's lifestyle".

The court heard that Mrs Golubovich was dependent on her husband's visa to stay in the UK, but her husband had disavowed her status on his visa and she had subsequently been told she must leave the country.

Lord Justice Thorpe gave permission last week for the appeal to go ahead saying that although the husband's behaviour could be seen as "reprehensible", his case was arguable. Three appeal court judges will now decide whether a UK judge is able to declare the Russian divorce decrees are void in London divorce courts.