Evidence Record

UK High Court, Family Division  ·  2021  ·  Fabrication

Akhmedova v. Akhmedov

[2021] EWHC 545 (Fam)

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What happened

Following the UK's then-largest matrimonial financial settlement (£453 million), the respondent sought to evade enforcement by claiming a prior Russian divorce had already resolved the financial matters. Russian-language divorce documents purportedly dated to 2000 were produced in support of this claim. Forensic analysis of the documents revealed features inconsistent with their claimed date, and the court found that the documentation had been fabricated specifically to defeat enforcement of the UK award. The judgment was given by Mrs Justice Knowles. In addition to the main respondent, the parties' son was found to have knowingly assisted in the concealment scheme and was ordered to pay substantial sums personally. The case illustrates that high-value document fabrication extends beyond commercial disputes into the highest-value family proceedings, and that centralised document creation provides no independent proof of when a record was actually created.

Outcome

Fabrication proven. UK's largest divorce award upheld. Son ordered to pay over $100M for assisting the concealment scheme.

Sources

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