Case summaries

Unfortunately, as a result of delays in finalising matters, there will often be circumstances where one party has remained in the family home since separation whilst the other party has paid rent elsewhere. This is

Child support can be a minefield for even the most seasoned of practitioners and whilst we are not often required to provide representation before the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), clients will often seek assistance in

The rise in prescriptions for medical cannabis can pose significant challenges in parenting proceedings for whilst the prescription may make it legal to consume cannabis it doesn’t negate the possible impact upon that parent’s conduct

Applications for nullity of a marriage are not very common in Australia. More often than not they are for religious reasons such as wanting to remarry where the person’s faith does not permit marrying in

Prior to March 2004, it was the usual process for parties to each retain a valuer, whether it be for a business, the family home or any other asset that required valuing. If there was

Although strictly speaking it is not a ‘costs jurisdiction’ Costs Orders are often made where the circumstances warrant doing so, such as where a party’s conduct has lengthened proceedings or a party has continued to

Adoption proceedings are not common. Blended families are very much the ‘norm’ and have been for many years but there can sometimes be compelling reasons for seeking an Order for adoption. However, even where one

Unfortunately, the penchant for appeals is not solely confined to self-represented litigants. Practitioners should not expend costs opposing technical filing arguments where the substantive impact on their client is negligible.

Where a party has exhausted multiple avenues of appeal, including an unsuccessful application for special leave to the High Court, and then fails to participate in the final hearing of their own volition, a subsequent

A Notice of Appeal where the applicant fails to file written submissions and instead makes oral submissions about perceived bias, is unlikely to survive a show cause hearing. Grounds of appeal must actually address the

Meint & B Pty Ltd — If a party’s application seeks orders that infringe the rights of an intervener or directly contradict a shareholders agreement, that party should withdraw those defective parts promptly when invited

Meint & Lyall — A single expert report that fails to engage with the terms of a shareholders agreement will carry limited weight where other shareholders hold the power to set the sale price of

Frost & Frost (No 2) — Where a father poses an unacceptable risk of harm to a child, the Court will order no time even where supervised time is sought, and family violence will be

The first was a Division 1 First Instance decision of His Honour, Schonell J, on
22 December 2025 where the applicant wife/mother filed an Application in a Proceeding seeking to discharge the jointly appointed