Many people were shocked last month to read about the case of the owner of a multi-million pound Eco-Electricity company whose ex-wife had won permission at the Supreme Court allowing her to file a financial claim against him, despite the fact that they divorced more than 23 years ago.

When Dale Vince and Kathleen Wyatt divorced, Mr Vince lived in an old ambulance and apparently had few assets.  However he started to build up his wind turbine business in 1996 which is now allegedly worth at least £57 million.

There is, of course, no guarantee that Ms Wyatt will succeed in her claim.  She will have an uphill struggle given the lapse of time since the divorce and the fact that the wealth has built up afterwards, but the fact that she has been granted permission to make a claim all this time later has caused alarm for many people.

The case does highlight the fact that financial matters need to be properly finalised at the time of divorce (or as soon as possible afterwards) by obtaining a Financial Order.  This Order would specifically prevent future claims and provides security  and certainty to both parties, ensuring that finances can be agreed and no future claims can be brought.