Ancillary relief refers to an application filed with the court following a divorce petition. Its purpose is to fairly distribute a sum of money or the marital assets between spouses. The term is mostly restricted to jurisdictions in the United Kingdom.
Ancillary Relief Explained
In the United Kingdom, a couple in the process of getting a divorce can negotiate and settle any financial disputes amongst them. Once the agreement is reached, it is confirmed by the court in a consent order, which is a legally binding document. In cases where the parties fail to reach a settlement on financial disputes, one of the parties will file an application for ancillary relief, which requests that the court exercise its power to distribute marital assets between spouses.
In the United States, there are actions that would fall under the idea of ancillary relief. Alimony pendente lite would be a form of ancillary relief. It is temporary alimony paid by one spouse to the other spouse while the divorce case is pending before the court.