Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, was ordered to pay up to £554 million to his ex-wife, Princess Haya Bin Al Hussein of Jordan, and their two children in a recent legal case. This is the biggest divorce settlement awarded by an English court and was revealed in a judgment published in December 2021 following private hearings before Mr Justice Moor in October and November 2021.

The judgment shows that a sizeable portion of the settlement is to pay for security for Princess Haya. Other sums were ordered for the chattels lost as a result of the divorce and for maintenance of the children, including for their education and pets.

The divorce and settlement have received much attention in the UK and international press and media and serve as a reminder that London remains a preferred venue for ultra high net worth divorces, meaning more work in this area for legal professionals.

Prior to Princess Haya's settlement, the highest value divorce settlement in the UK was ordered to be paid by Russian billionaire Farkhad Akhmedov to ex-wife Tatiana Akhmedova - a £450 million sum was awarded in 2017 and subsequently contested until a settlement was reached in July of 2021.

Huge legal costs were accrued during the long-running litigation, and sizeable legal teams were engaged on both sides. Though the hearings were conducted in private, Mr Justice Moor gave leave for a version of the judgment to be published which shows Nicholas Cusworth QC, Emma Chamberlain and Nicholas Wilkinson were instructed by Payne Hicks Beach on behalf of Princess Haya and Nigel Dyer QC, Lord Pannick QC, Brian Green QC, Daniel Bentham and Stephen Jarmain were instructed by Harbottle and Lewis for Sheikh Mohammed.

Chambers UK Bar Band one-ranked Nicholas Cusworth QC of 1 Hare Court was described by one of our interviewees as a silk with real courtroom gravitas.

Nigel Dyer QC, also of 1 Hare Court, has achieved star individual status in the 2022 edition of the Chambers UK Bar guide and is one of the very best at the Bar according to a source.

The Chambers UK Bar guide 2022 provides market leading reviews and analysis of barristers working in this practice area in the Family Law rankings.