A millionaire businessman thought it would be a great idea to hire his ex-wife as his housekeeper when his new girlfriend moved into their home. His ex-wife, however, was not so impressed.
According to The Telegraph, the man couldn't understand why his former wife became "so aggressive" when he told her of his plans - and she quickly decided to take him to court and claim the half of his £13.6 million fortune that she was entitled to.
The couple, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were married for 20 years before they divorced in the late 90s. But, once the paperwork was signed, the duo continued to live together as friends.
They treated the divorce as "just a piece of paper" and, for a while, they were very happy with the arrangement.
However about five years ago the man met another woman. And, after dating for a while, his new girlfriend and her 12-year-old daughter moved into his mansion.
When the man asked his former wife if she would remain in the home “as some sort of housekeeper”, she found the suggestion “very demeaning and upsetting”.
Unsurprisingly, she took him to court and made a financial claim. And, despite the fact that they had been divorced for such a long time, the judge ruled that there was “no distinction” between the couple’s life before and after the divorce and that she should receive more than £6 million.
Lesson learned? If you play with fire, prepare to get burned...