This weekend, Valemus Law’s Family and Children Partner Joanna Abrahams appeared on BBC Radio Three Counties discussing the issues around fraudulent divorce.  

Joanna’s comments were prompted by a recent case relating to a woman who was unaware that she was divorced for 12 years, after her signature was forged on official documents. Rachpal and Kewal Randhawa were married at Slough register office, Berkshire, in 1978 but separated in 2009.

Whilst Mrs Randhawa believed they were separated but still married, in the eyes of the law they were in fact divorced. A family court has now declared that this divorce is invalid, after the judge ruled that the woman had no knowledge of it and that her signature had been forged.

In addition to discussing the case, Joanna detailed the upcoming Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill which is due to come into force on April 6, 2022, and whether this will prevent similar fraudulent divorce cases in the future.

You can listen to Joanna’s comments by clicking the audio file below.