The case of Potanina v Potanin has made the headlines in recent weeks. It involved a multi-billion-pound claim from the former wife of Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin. Earlier this month, the Court of Appeal ruled that Natalia Potanina can pursue her financial relief claim under Part III of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984. It has put the English Family Court in the spotlight for international couples once again and subsequently may open the floodgates for international cases coming through the London family courts in the hope of larger financial awards or for fairness to financially weaker spouses.

In the Russian proceedings, it was only the wealth in the parties’ sole/joint names that was taken into account, but the wife complained that this failed to take any account of the vast majority of the wealth held beneficially for the husband via trusts and companies. She subsequently moved to England and sought leave to pursue a financial claim in England following the Russian proceedings.

The case details

Natalia Potanina and Vladimir Potanin were married in Russia in 1983 and divorced there in 2014 after around 30 years of marriage. The Russian divorce award gave the wife in this case a relatively modest sum (tens of millions) while her former husband’s wealth was argued to amount to billions. Her case was that she had received less than 1% of the marital assets.

In 2019, the wife sought leave to apply for financial relief in England under Part III of the 1984 Act, through which financial claims can be brought after a foreign divorce in certain cases. The High Court initially granted leave but this was later set aside.

The couple ended up in proceedings in the Court of Appeal and then in the Supreme Court. In January 2024, the Supreme Court asked the Court of Appeal to reconsider the matter.

On 4 September 2025, the Court of Appeal granted the wife permission to proceed with her application, finding that she had a “real and meaningful connection” to England. The Court of Appeal also found that the disparity between her Russian settlement and that which she could receive here in the English courts was substantial. Her investor visa, her London home, and her change of residency were key factors in this.

What does it mean for divorce law in England and Wales?

  1. The ruling reinforces the Family Court of England and Wales as a leading jurisdiction for high-value international divorce claims, with London at the centre of this. Previously, in rejecting the application, the High Court had said that otherwise there would be no limit to divorce tourism. The Court of Appeal disagrees and so divorce tourism is likely to continue for some time into the future.
  2. The judgment clarifies the test for Part III permission and as a result, applicants must now show a substantial ground. Arguably, the threshold for establishing the jurisdiction to bring a claim has been lowered, paving the way for more claims by spouses who were overseas initially who consider that they have been treated unfairly by more restrictive overseas courts.
  3. In the wife’s case, she received an original award in Russia, which many would view as vastly out of proportion given the marital wealth accumulated. The court recognised that and where foreign proceedings fail to consider beneficial interests or provide fair outcomes, the English courts may step in. It is clear now that they will step in provided that the required jurisdictional tests are met.
  4. Conversely, it would be wise for international couples to have English law-compliant pre- or post-nuptial agreements in place to help avoid a situation where a spouse effectively gets a second chance to litigate in England. Their need is now greater than ever in international cases.

Some critics argue that the ruling could invite a surge in high-net-worth claims from overseas and that the family court system will be even further strained here. However, cases similar to the Potanina case will not be that common.

The wife’s case will now return to the Family Division of the High Court for a full financial remedy hearing under English law, and consequently, this could become one of the largest divorce awards on record.

This is just one of the recent cases making the headlines recently in the press as far as international divorce and high-net-worth divorces are concerned as the latest judgment in the Standish case has also very recently been handed down.

If you have any questions or concerns about divorce, international divorce, financial claims on divorce, mediation, or any other family query, please contact Emma Harte.