Where Does Our Property Stand?

Surely, no-one can dispute that as a matter of fairness, what's mine should be mine and what's ours should be shared. But how does this principle play out in practice?

On 2 July 2025, the UKSC handed down its judgment in Standish v. Standish [2025] UKSC 26 offering much-needed clarity on what truly constitutes matrimonial property and the legal consequences of that distinction.

This ruling will undoubtedly shape Hong Kong law, aligning neatly with Step 4 (good reasons for departing from equal sharing) of LKW v. DD (2010) 13 HKCFAR 537, where Ribeiro PJ observed that "[t]he source of an asset may provide a reason for excluding it from the sharing principle on the basis that it is not an item of matrimonial property."