The family lawyer would be forgiven for wondering what is going to happen next in the world of the big-money divorce. Every few weeks another decision seems to come along that has us revising the advice we are giving to our clients.

The well-publicised cases of McFarlane and Parlour sent a shiver down the spines of high earners contemplating divorce, but the recent High Court decision in Sorrell v Sorrell gives some limited cause for optimism to those who have amassed wealth through excelling in their chosen field of endeavour.