A mother of three involved in what is believed to be the longest-lasting divorce case in Britain has been granted £6.6 million from her ex-husband’s fortune after a 24-year legal battle.
Varsha Gohil, 61, from north London, initiated divorce proceedings against her ex-husband Bhadresh Gohil, a solicitor, in May 2002, citing adultery and unreasonable behavior. Initially, she agreed to a financial settlement of £270,000 and the family’s Peugeot, but suspected that her ex-husband was concealing his true wealth.
Over the following two decades, Varsha’s suspicions were confirmed as multiple legal battles exposed her ex-husband’s hidden assets worth £28 million in various corporate entities worldwide. This divorce case has become a landmark in British legal history with several significant developments over the years.
In 2011, Bhadresh Gohil was convicted of money laundering offenses, forgery, and conspiracy to defraud, receiving a ten-year prison sentence. He was found to be involved in a significant fraud and money laundering scheme, aiding in laundering millions through his firm’s client accounts.
The legal saga reached the Supreme Court in 2015, where it was ruled that Varsha Gohil could challenge the original settlement due to her ex-husband’s lack of financial disclosure. This decision overturned previous family law settlements that prevented spouses from reopening settlements upon discovering concealed assets.
The case finally concluded in the High Court in 2023, with competing claims from Varsha Gohil, her ex-husband, and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Ultimately, it was determined that the assets belonged to Gohil, and Varsha was awarded £6.6 million from the untainted assets, as some businesses and assets were deemed legitimate during their marriage.
