Ryan Giggs will ask an English divorce court for more than 50% of millions that he has acquired during his marriage due to his special skills in football, or soccer as we call it in America. The argument failed last week in Randy Work’s “genius” claim.

We have something similar in Maryland which you can argue if you have made special contributions in your marriage.

In Maryland,when distributing marital property: the court must consider, among other factors;

— the contributions, monetary and nonmonetary, of each party to the well-being of the family. Section 8-205 (b)(1) of the Family Law Article of the Md. Code

and

— how and when specific marital property or interest in property was acquired, including the effort expended by each party in accumulating the marital property or the interest in property. Section 8-205 (b)(8) of the Family Law Article of the Md. Code

by James J. Gross

Randy Work, an American financier, is appealing an award that the English Courts made to his wife, Mandy Gray, last year of 140 million pounds, which was half the martial estate. He claims that he should get two thirds because it was his financial genius that created the wealth.

Under English law, a court can make less than an equal division if it would be unfair to disregard the conduct of one party to the marriage.

In Maryland, the court can adjust the equities of property distribution by making a marital award based on certain factors that must be considered. One of the factors includes the efforts of each party in accumulating marital property.

But another factor is the contributions of each party, either monetary or non-monetary, to the well-being of the family. If one spouse took care of the home and children while the other spouse advanced his or her career, who is to say those contributions are not equal? How would you divide this estate?