A hotel porter has been awarded a portion of his ex-wife's lottery win in a landmark case at London's High Court.
In what is thought to be first case where divorce solicitors have had to contest the rights to lottery money, Mr Justice Mostyn handed over £85,000 in prize money, due to the fact that some winnings had been spent on renovating a family home.
Mr Mostyn claimed that any lottery win should be deemed by law as "non-matrimonal property." However, he ruled that the wife had turned "part of her non-matrimonal assets into matrimonal property" by investing in home improvements.
This suggests that divorcees would have no right to claim any lottery winnings bought by their spouse if it was simply left in a bank.
The identity of the hotel porter and his wife has not been revealed. The Daily Telegraph report he had asked to be given half of the £500,000 winnings but this was denied as he had only been living in the home for a short while after the win.
According to The Daily Mirror, Mr Justice Mostyn told the Family Division: "Given the short period he lived in the house, I do not believe that he is entitled to an equal sharing of it or anything like it."
written by Joe Elvin on October 18th 2011
