Written by Bailey Miles
Imagine building a business over many years with your partner by your side. One person drives the company, while the other is raising the children, managing the household, and providing the support required. Then, after separation, the company suddenly skyrockets in value.
Should the person who founded the business receive a larger share simply because the big success happened after the relationship ended? That was the question the Court considered in Charis & Charis [2026] FedCFamC1A 92.
Let’s break it down.
The parties were in a relationship for approximately 14 years, they were married and had two children together. At the commencement of the relationship both parties had assets of modest value.
Over the course of their relationship, they accumulated substantial wealth primarily as the husband co-founded a technology company, however the value of the business increased drastically after the parties separated. At the time of the final hearing in October 2025 they had assets worth over $127 million.
The husband invited the Court to take an asset-by-asset approach when assessing the contributions. The husband submitted that his extraordinary financial growth should result in him retaining a larger portion of the property pool. Whereas the wife contended that the company was established and developed during the course of their marriage and that she made significant contributions to the success of the business by supporting the husband’s career. This included relocating internationally on multiple occasions to facilitate the husband’s employment opportunities.
The result…
The Court disagreed with husband and rather found that the homemaker contributions made by the wife throughout the relationship remained highly relevant. Her Honour found that the parties both made extensive financial and non-financial contributions over a long period of time and as such a 50/50 split of the property pool would be just and equitable. This split saw the wife retaining shares from her former husband’s company, equating to nearly $67 million.
The case of Charis & Charis is a valuable reminder that success typically does not occur in isolation, and property settlements often involve far more than who just earned the income.
If you are separating and have questions about how your property may be divided, obtaining tailored legal advice early on is important. Please get in touch with the Richardson Murray team for a private, confidential and obligation free consultation.