LONDON, June 12 (UPI) -- A London wife, Yasmin Prest, won a landmark divorce case Wednesday when Supreme Court judges overturned what was called a "cheat's charter."
The court ruled that seven London properties, held in companies controlled by Yasmin Prest's ex-husband, Michael Prest, should be transferred to her as part of her $17.5 million divorce settlement.
The ruling reversed a Court of Appeal judgment, which prohibited Yasmin Prest from obtaining the properties.
The previous decision, which labeled the properties as separate legal entities, was described as a "cheat's charter" that would allow millionaire husbands to hide their wealth in companies.
"I'm delighted. It's a matter of fairness," Yasmin Prest told the London Evening Standard. "Women in a similar situation will be able to receive what the courts have awarded them.
A court awarded Yasmin Prest a $17.5 million settlement in 2011 after declaring that her oil trader husband was worth at least $37.5 million.
She was then given the rights to the couple's $4 million home but, until Wednesday, was unable to obtain the rest of her payout because her husband's remaining properties were held by offshore companies.
