A divorce has been annulled by a family court after a woman’s signature was discovered to have been forged in divorce documents filed twelve years ago.
Kewal and Rachpal Randhawa were married in 1978 in Slough Register Office in Berkshire. In 2009, the couple separated. Mr Randhawa reportedly claims to have married another woman in 2011.
Mrs Randhawa believed that although she and her husband were separated, they were still married. They reportedly continued to attend family events as husband and wife and she was unaware that Mr Randhawa had remarried.
In 2010, the divorce documents were filed, with what has now been found to be Mrs Randhawa’s forged signature. Slough County Court (as it was known at the time) granted the divorce on 29 April 2010 on the grounds that the marriage had “irretrievably broken down due to Mrs Randhawa’s unreasonable behaviour”.
In 2021, Mrs Randhawa applied to set aside the divorce, alleging that she never had any notice of the divorce and that any signature purporting to be hers on the Acknowledgement of Service document from 2010 was a forgery.
In his judgement, His Honour Judge Moradifar found that Mr Randhawa was “the only person with opportunity and motive to ensure that the divorce proceeded without difficulties”.
He found that Mrs Randhawa had no notice of the divorce proceedings and what was purported to be her signature on the Acknowledgement of Service form from February 2010 was actually a forgery, forged by or on behalf of Mr Randhawa.
As a result, the judge set aside the divorce.
Is divorce fraud common?
There are worries that cases of fraudulent divorces could increase when the law is changed to remove ‘fault’ from the divorce process. And, with many petitions now submitted online, many family lawyers are concerned that divorce fraud is becoming easier than ever.
What can I do if I believe I am a victim of divorce fraud?
If you believe that your spouse is attempting to obtain a divorce without informing you, it is important to seek legal advice from experienced family lawyers as soon as possible.
Get in touch today to book your free consultation with one of our specialist divorce solicitors.