Frances Hughes, senior partner at Hughes Fowler Carruthers, London. Thoughts on the case: ‘Seven years have passed since Mrs Potanina’s original application under Part III of the MFPA 1984. Future practice might be better served by an inter partes application than the ex-parte application, which complies with current rules. It is a pity that a litigant can find themselves at the beginning of their application after seven years of appellant procedure. Mrs Potanina is not a “divorce tourist”.