A landmark ruling giving a woman more than a third of her ex-husband's future earnings in professional soccer set off a fierce debate Thursday about divorce laws and the future of marriage in Britain.
The Court of Appeal ruled Wednesday that Karen Parlour, 33, who had three children with soccer star Ray Parlour during their seven-year relationship, is entitled to 37 percent of his $2.2 million annual salary to acknowledge the role she played in his team's success. That means she will receive $820,000 a year for four years, when the settlement will be reviewed.