Taking the Piss?

Hot from the presses .....

The ex-wife of Premiership footballer Ray Parlour has won her claim for more than a third of his future income.

The Appeal Court judgement could have major implications for other divorce settlements.

Karen Parlour said afterwards she was "very relieved at the outcome of the appeal and the settlement agreed".

She was earlier awarded two mortgage-free houses worth more than £1m, a £250,000 lump sum and £250,00 a year.However, the mother-of-three's lawyers told the Court of Appeal that was not enough.They argued his £1.2m a year salary should, in principle, be split 50-50 to reflect her input on the marriage.This was because she rescued him from the drinking culture which existed at Arsenal before Arsene Wenger took over as manager.

High Court Family Division judge Mr Justice Bennett awarded Mrs Parlour £250,000 annual maintenance in January. He ruled her ex-husband's offer of £120,000 did not reflect the major part she played in persuading him to "grow up".

Mrs Parlour, 33, has accepted that, because her relationship with the premiership star lasted only seven years, she could not claim the full 50%. But the former optician's assistant from Romford, Essex, said she was entitled to around £440,000 a year from his £1.2m income.

Her lawyer said this was because the earning capacity he developed with her support during their marriage was a "matrimonial resource".

Until now maintenance has been awarded on the basis of a spouse's "reasonable needs" rather than the equal share principle that applies to division of matrimonial assets.


Western civilisation is in decline ... nonsense like this. I'm sure the lawyers on both sides made a packet as well ....goes along nicely with the oft quoted statistic that there are more people training to be lawyers in the USA than there are on the planet...