UK MCA § 25 + Charman 1/3 + HK § 21M 延伸
Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 § 25 / § 24 · Charman v Charman [2007] EWCA Civ 503 · HK High Court Ordinance s.21M
上海李先生在 2018 年和英籍太太结婚 · 婚后育有两子 · 全家以伦敦为主住所 6 年。家族企业（境内 + 香港双层）由李先生持股 80% · 估值约 GBP 320M（其中 HK 资产 GBP 190M · 境内 GBP 130M · 英国房产 GBP 12M）。2024 年妻子在伦敦家事法院提起离婚 · 李先生律师团队第一反应是"赶紧把香港资产转移"——他在 48 小时内通过香港私人银行向 BVI 一家新设公司转出 USD 23M。妻子律师在英国法院申请 § 21A worldwide freezing order 同时跨海在香港高等法院依 § 21M 申请 cross-border Mareva——香港法院在英国 family proceedings 已立案 + 英国判决可在港执行 + 转移行为已发生 · 立即颁发冻结令· LP 那笔 USD 23M 在 BVI 新公司账户上被穿透冻结。最终英国法院依 Charman 1/3 reference point 判妻子分得 GBP 105M（约总资产 33%）+ HK 法院依 § 21M 协助执行。这一连串组合是 HNW 跨境离婚最危险的"英港联动"。
英国《婚姻诉讼法》1973 第 25 条 + Charman v Charman 案 + HK 高等法院条例 § 21M—— 这三件法律工具组合 · 是中国 HNW 客户在英港有资产 + 配偶英籍 / HK 籍场景下最危险的跨境家事追索机制。本条目梳理三者的联动逻辑。
MCA § 25 条款节选 · 关键 quote
Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 s.25(1)–(2)
It shall be the duty of the court in deciding whether to exercise its powers under section 23, 24, 24A, 24B or 24E above and, if so, in what manner, to have regard to all the circumstances of the case, first consideration being given to the welfare while a minor of any child of the family who has not attained the age of eighteen. As regards the exercise of the powers of the court... in relation to a party to the marriage, the court shall in particular have regard to the following matters— (a) the income, earning capacity, property and other financial resources... (b) the financial needs, obligations and responsibilities... (c) the standard of living enjoyed by the family before the breakdown of the marriage; (d) the age of each party... (e) any physical or mental disability... (f) the contributions which each of the parties has made or is likely to make to the welfare of the family... (g) the conduct of each of the parties... (h) the value to each of the parties... of any benefit... which... that party will lose the chance of acquiring.
Charman v Charman [2007] EWCA Civ 503 · "1/3 reference point"
Charman 案 · 关键 holding
The court enunciated that, in cases involving very large fortunes, after applying the "yardstick of equality" departure from equal division would require justification by reference to the source of the assets, especially where one spouse had generated wealth pre-marriage or where wealth derived from substantial inherited family business. In Charman itself, the wife received approximately 36.5% of the matrimonial assets (£48m of £131m)... The case is widely cited as establishing a "1/3 reference point" for very wealthy marriages where one spouse claims a disproportionate contribution to wealth generation.
MCA § 24 + s.24A 条款节选 · 信托穿透授权
MCA 1973 s.24(1)(c)–(d) · property adjustment order
On granting a decree of divorce, a decree of nullity of marriage or a decree of judicial separation or at any time thereafter... the court may make any one or more of the following orders... (c) an order varying for the benefit of the parties to the marriage and of the children of the family or either or any of them any ante-nuptial or post-nuptial settlement... made on the parties to the marriage; (d) an order extinguishing or reducing the interest of either of the parties to the marriage under any such settlement.
HK § 21M · 跨境 Mareva injunction
已有独立条目 · 参见 HK § 21M cross-border Mareva。本条目重点说明 § 21M 与 MCA + Charman 的联动机制：
- 触发场景：英国 family proceedings 已立案 / 准备立案 + 被申请人在港有资产 + 资产消散风险
- 三个要件齐备时：申请人可在英国法院申请 § 24A worldwide freezing order 的同时 · 平行向香港高等法院申请 § 21M cross-border Mareva
- 2024 内地 / 香港相互执行框架：扩大了内地诉讼 + 港诉讼的相互承认 → 同样的逻辑延伸到内地 family proceedings 也能触发 § 21M
三条联动机制
MCA § 25 / Charman / HK § 21M 在 HNW 跨境离婚中的实际触发顺序：
- Step 1 · 管辖确立：申请人在英国法院（依 DMPA 1973 sole/joint domicile or 12-month residency）或 HK 法院（DMO § 3）立案 family proceedings
- Step 2 · MCA § 25 资产清查：法院命令双方做 Form E full disclosure · 包括境外资产 + 信托利益 + 公司股权· 不披露 = adverse inference
- Step 3 · Charman 1/3 评估：法院在 yardstick of equality 之外考虑（a）资产来源（b）婚前 / 婚内贡献（c）家族企业 vs 婚后积累——典型 HNW 判决落点在 30%—40%
- Step 4 · § 21M 跨境冻结：被申请人开始转移资产时 · 申请人立即在 HK 高等法院申请 § 21M Mareva 冻结港内资产 · 同时向 BVI / Cayman 申请 receivership
- Step 5 · MCA § 24 信托穿透：法院在 final hearing 中依 § 24(1)(c)–(d) 命令 trustee 调整信托 / 减少受托人利益 / 直接 transfer 部分资产到申请人——nuptial settlement 是核心穿透对象
实务影响 · 中国家族
- nuptial settlement 是高危靶子：婚后设立的家族信托 / 婚内夫妻共同 settlor 的信托 · 极易被认定为 nuptial settlement → MCA § 24 直接穿透
- asset disclosure 不可隐瞒：英国法院在 Charman / Imerman / Tchenguiz 等判例中确立adverse inference 路线——隐瞒资产 = 法院可按假设最大值判分
- 转移资产 = 自杀：在 family proceedings 立案后转移资产 · 不仅触发 § 21M cross-border Mareva · 还构成 contempt of court · 严重时 imprisonment
- 香港 / 新加坡资产 都在射程：香港有 § 21M · 新加坡有同质 cross-border injunction · BVI / Cayman 在 enforcement 阶段配合度高
- prenup 不是 absolute：英国不承认 prenup absolutely binding（不同于美国 / 加州）——但 Radmacher v Granatino [2010] UKSC 42 后法院给予显著权重· prenup 内容公平 + 双方独立法律意见 + 充分披露 → 法院倾向遵从
真实判例锚点
- Charman v Charman [2007] EWCA Civ 503：父亲创立保险经纪公司 · 离婚时资产 GBP 131M · 妻子获 GBP 48M（36.5%）· "1/3 reference point" 定调
- Imerman v Tchenguiz [2010] EWCA Civ 908：妻子团队私自获取丈夫电脑文件——法院仍然审查内容但程序受指责；后续案件中 Form E disclosure 责任更重
- Cooper-Hohn v Hohn [2014] EWHC 4122 (Fam)：对冲基金创始人离婚 · 资产 GBP 700M+ · 妻子获 GBP 337M（约 48%）· 因 marriage 本身长 + 双方共同建立企业 · 突破 Charman 1/3
- Compania Sud Americana v Hin-Pro [2015] HKCFA：香港终审法院确立 § 21M cross-border Mareva 五要件
cross-link
- 家庭故事 · 李家 · 英港跨境离婚 1/3 + § 21M
- 清单 · 跨法域离婚 Mareva 防御清单
- 清单 · 涉外婚姻离婚 stress test
- 风险 · Charman 1/3 跨法域延伸风险
- 风险 · 离婚穿透信托风险
- 法规 · HK § 21M cross-border Mareva
引用
Statutes
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 (UK) · s.23 / 24 / 24A / 25
- High Court Ordinance (HK Cap. 4) · s.21M (2009-06-26 加入)
- Matrimonial Proceedings and Property Ordinance (HK Cap. 192) · s.7
Cases
- Charman v Charman [2007] EWCA Civ 503
- Cooper-Hohn v Hohn [2014] EWHC 4122 (Fam)
- Imerman v Tchenguiz [2010] EWCA Civ 908
- Radmacher v Granatino [2010] UKSC 42
- Compania Sud Americana v Hin-Pro [2015] HKCFA