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Even for a man of Phil Collins’s wealth — the rock star is estimated to be worth £140 million — the reported £25 million divorce payment he has been obliged to make to his third wife, Orianne Cevey, would have hardly been painless: small wonder that he kept quiet about it until the figure emerged in his company accounts.
London’s divorce courts are seeing a stream of foreign custom as wives reason that the best way to glean an extra million or so from their husband is to try their luck in England.
“It’s generally accepted that London is the divorce capital of the world,” according to James Turner, QC, a counsel involved in top family law cases. “More foreign claimants than ever are ‘forum shopping’ for the best divorce jurisdiction — and that tends to be England.” The trend started in 2000, when the House of Lords ruled that marital assets should be split equally.
“I’m aware of cases where wives have tricked their husbands into living in the UK for a few months and then sprung divorce proceedings on them,” Mr Turner told The Times. “It also helps that prenuptial agreements are not binding in this country.”
Some countries, such as Russia, let rich husbands hide their wealth in trusts and companies. English courts look at all marital assets before dividing the wealth. “Oligarchs are now worried that their wives may start divorce proceedings over here.”
A few countries, he added, would apply English divorce law in their own courts — so long as one of the parties was from here. These included Switzerland, where Ms Cevey was born.
Collins, 57, might have seen financial calamity coming. This is his third divorce; last time he had to pay £17 million. He had notoriously dumped by fax his second wife, Jill Tavelman, who is the mother of his daughter, Lily.
He had two children with his first wife, Andrea Bertorelli. When she left him for their decorator, the rock star responded by appearing on Top of the Pops with a pot of paint on his piano.
The size of this settlement prompted divorce lawyers to wonder why, given what happened last time, Collins did not seek a pre-nuptial agreement.
He met Ms Cevey in 1994, when she was working as a translator. They married in 1999 and set up home near Geneva. The couple, who have two children, announced their split in 2006, stating that they had “grown apart”.
Ms Cevey, 35, who has stayed in the marital home, recently set up a jewellery business, and also works as a designer for a Geneva watch company. Collins divides his time between Switzerland, New York and England.

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I do hope the best for Phil and I am sure he'll find someone nice to grow old with.
Tatiana Nicoleta Oltean, Newbury, England
I wish Phil and all his family all the best and we must try and remember he is like everyboby else, normal.
sean, gaerwen, isle of anglesey
Orianne comes from a well-to-do-family, unfortunately for Phil, they're not Multi-millionaires.Thanks to Phil's money the Cevey family have their first Millionaire!
Liz, London, England
thank god phils single again.. now i may have my chance!!! lol
debs, canvey island, essex
If, and it has to be a big if, Phil ties the knot again he has to leave his heart outside his legal team's office and SIGN A PRE-NUP. Otherwise he's always going to be a money tree for any pretty face. Sorry Phil, I luv ya, but learn from this. Without knowing what really happened of course!
Jan, Bude, UK
Well it is obviously sad for their children; they are the ones who really suffer in all of this. However, in all these cases there is always the "insurance policy" of children to ensure a huge payout and future security. What a pity for those little mites.
Charlotte McGovern, Sunninghill, Ascot, Berkshire.
When it happens to prominent celebrities and wealthy people is not so bad, but for ordinary spouses is life wrecking.
Without fairness in wealth and respect in marriage life, this will go on forever, lawyers and judges will be the winners and of course, go diggers who look for a tasty pension
lewis, london, uk
it could be said what goes around comes around maybe if he had treated his second wife better he may not of bee in this position now.
Maddie, Bromsgrove, Worcs
Makes it sound a bit like McCartney got stiffed. Phil paid out only £700k more for 2 extra years and 1 extra kid. I guess Cevey's kids will be in the economy seats along with Bee (seriously what mother makes her little daughter buy her own plane ticket???).
Dan, Cumbria,
This is your cousin Al, son of one of yer dad's brothers, Bill. We've not been in touch, but I want to tell yer that you've passed your drumming/song writing talent to my son Gabriel, who has just graduated from Dartington as a composer. You should hear his c.d.'s which would cheer you up!
Alan John Collins, Totnes, Devon., UK
He should have realised that as she works for a Watch manufacturer his time was nearly up.
Celebs treat marriage as a publicity accessory these days.
KeithW, Wirral, UK
Life just is'nt fair with marriages
I hope you find the right person you deserve happiness
Wealth is'nt everything I have always been a fan
You are so talented and clever in the music business
Dont know how people can say you are ugly I think you are
cute and cuddly
Take care
Gail Blackbu
Gail Murray, Blackburn, Lancashire
Poor old Phil, but Ms Cevey always did seem to be a bit of an "arriviste". He should have seen this train-wreck coming.
peter koeb, Geneva, Switzerland
Oh dear me Phi. You're just not too bright are you? Fool me once. Fool me twice. Fool me thrice. Fool me.... so, I wonder who will be the next ex-Mrs Collins??
Ken Madeski, Glasgow,
Oh Dear... Another Phil Collins ballad on the way...
Rich S, Bristol,
She married him when he was already successful, she played no part in the accumulation of his wealth, and yet she's entitled to £25m. Just when the Olympics team was starting to make me feel proud of being British....
James, London, UK
Him a short, fat, bald rock star worth 140 million. Her a wage-slave translator 22 years younger than him.
But seriously, Phil, I wonder what she found attractive in you?
Sarah, HK,
Britain still holding its own as the idiot country of just about the world. This nonsense matches the all the stupidity about the terrorist who are allowed freedom
in the country because the stupid law says
they could be punished in their home country. The countries had it.
Barry Holmes, Christchurch, New Zealand
About time he got his come-uppance for having a hit about his wife leaving him, and everybody feeling sorry.
andreas edge, New York,
what goes round comes around. This meets the Labour manifesto to redistribute the wealth of the rich to the poor-er.
raymond Gibson, Sheerness, UK
what man would ever want to get married ?
frank, slough, UK