Julian McFarlane made legal history in 2006 when the House of Lords awarded her an annual maintenance settlement of £250,000 and £3m in capital when she divorced her husband. The huge sums due were based on the principle that Mrs Mcfarlane had given up her own career to raise their three children and contribute to her husbands success at work. Now, the High Court has awarded a further increase of £100,000 per year to £350,000 even although the divorcee’s needs are only held to be £150,000. The adjustment in maintenance payments is in response to Mr McFarlane’s income figures which have risen from £750,000 at the time of the divorce to £1.1 million.

The case will panic many husbands working in highly paid jobs who are on the brink of divorce.