R v R [2004] FLR 98).
There is often a departure from equality in farming cases due to the non-matrimonial nature of some farming assets. For example, a farm which has been gifted, inherited and/or in the family for generations, in the expectation that it will be handed down, is an important factor which the court will take into consideration.
Whilst a distinction can be made between matrimonial and non-matrimonial assets, the needs of one or both parties will dictate the sway of a settlement. However, needs are an elastic concept, and if needs can be satisfied without recourse to non-matrimonial farming assets, the yardstick of equality can be stretched and tested. Each case will turn on its facts and the outcome will depend on a wide variety of factors.