Vivien Croly, of our Family & Divorce team, has written a case summary on Collardeau v Fuchs (Contempt of Court: Sentencing) [2026] EWFC 44 for the Financial Remedies Journal.
Summary
Ms Collardeau’s application seeking the committal of Mr Fuchs, for contempt of court. No separate penalty for contempt was ordered, but a costs order was made against Mr Fuchs, summarily assessed at £100,000 inclusive of VAT.
Background
The parties were married in 2012 and separated in 2020. There are two children of the marriage. There was a pre-nuptial agreement made in March 2012, amended by agreement in March 2014.
The parties have been engaged in long-running, hostile financial remedy proceedings which have been the subject of a numerous, published judgments. In his final order, Mostyn J ordered Mr Fuchs to pay the mortgage on the family home in London until the youngest child turned 21, and to pay Ms Collardeau a lump sum of £19m within 14 days. Mr Fuchs ceased paying the mortgage and did not pay the lump sum.
A series of applications to enforce the final order were made by Ms Collardeau.
On 28 March 2025, Poole J made an order to preserve properties so as not to prejudice the variation and enforcement application. Amongst other things, Mr Fuchs was prohibited from selling a property in America – ‘ML1’. A penal notice was attached to that direction.
On 25 June 2025, Mr Fuchs sold ML1 for US$26m with net proceeds of over $10m. Mr Fuchs gave the proceeds to his friend and associate, Mr Rosen, not to Ms Collardeau.
In July 2025, Ms Collardeau applied for the committal of Mr Fuchs for contempt of court on account of his sale of ML1 – and in three other respects, which were not found and/or pursued against him.
Read the full article here.