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https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/apr/15/wrong-couple-divorced-solicitor-clicks-wrong-button>
"A couple were divorced by mistake after solicitors at a leading law firm made
a computer error but a senior judge has said it cannot be overturned.
The couple, referred to as Mr and Mrs Williams by the high court, were married
for 21 years until they separated in 2023.
Solicitors at the London firm Vardags, headed by Ayesha Vardag, the self-styled
“diva of divorce”, used an online portal to mistakenly apply for a final order
for the couple, who were still attempting to agree financial arrangements for
their split.
Sir Andrew McFarlane, the president of the family division, explained lawyers
had intended to apply for a divorce for another client “but inadvertently
opened the electronic case file in ‘Williams v Williams’ and proceeded to apply
for a final order in that case”.
He said solicitors at Vardags, who were representing the wife, used the online
portal “without the instruction or authority of their client”. He said the
online system operated with “its now customary speed” and granted the order
divorcing the Williamses within 21 minutes.
The solicitors realised their mistake two days later and applied to the high
court to rescind the final divorce order. They described the error as being
simply that of someone at Vardags “clicking the wrong button” and argued that
as the final order was applied for by mistake, it should be set aside.
But McFarlane rejected the application and said: “There is a strong public
policy interest in respecting the certainty and finality that flows from a
final divorce order and maintaining the status quo that it has established.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
