Google Ordered To Provide Email Data In $600m Divorce Dispute

In view of the fact that the publication of e-mails has already been a very controversial matter in many criminal trials, a current case should cause a stir: Google is supposed to make the messages of a user in a divorce dispute available.

The matter now preoccupies courts in various countries and has the potential to cause political repercussions. After all, it is about a dispute in a Russian oligarch family, in which ex-spouses argue over 600 million dollars. Tatiana Akhmedova accuses her ex-husband Farkhad Akhmedov of having transferred money to their son so that she would get less of the property in the event of a separation of property.

The money at issue here had already been awarded to her by a London court, reports the political magazine The Hill. So far, however, she has not received it – because, according to her ex-husband, it simply does not exist. Akhmedova’s lawyers then turned to a California court, which now ordered Google to hand over the son’s emails. This should bring more clarity about whether the money has been transferred to him.

Son sees things easily

Previously, with the approval of the London court, the son’s apartment in Great Britain had been searched. In doing so, any evidence should be secured that can substantiate the allegation that these important documents that could be interpreted in favor of his mother in the event of divorce disappeared. However, the son had his lawyers reject all allegations in this direction and explain that no corresponding evidence will be found in the e-mails, as these simply do not exist.

It could be inferred from this that there could be something to it since the son and his lawyers do not want to challenge the order. This would certainly be possible and promising – after all, communication secrecy is an important basic right that is normally only restricted in criminal investigations – but not in a civil divorce dispute. However, Google may take further legal steps even here in order not to set an unsightly precedent.