Anand and Bansal and Ors

In the Family Court of Australia, the matter of *Anand and Bansal and Ors* concerned an application by one of the parties seeking leave to rely on expert evidence beyond that of a single expert appointed by the court. The core of the dispute revolved around the procedural propriety of introducing additional expert testimony in a family law property settlement context.

The primary legal issue before Judge Obradovic was whether to grant the applicant leave to adduce expert evidence from a source other than the court-appointed single expert. This required the court to consider the principles governing the use of expert evidence in family law proceedings, particularly the weight given to single expert reports and the circumstances under which deviations from this approach are permissible.

Judge Obradovic dismissed the application. The reasoning likely centred on the established practice and policy favouring the use of single experts in family law matters to promote efficiency and reduce costs, unless compelling reasons are demonstrated to depart from this norm. The court would have assessed whether the applicant had satisfied the onus of proving that the proposed additional expert evidence was necessary or would significantly assist the court in resolving the dispute, and that its admission would not unduly delay or prejudice the proceedings.

Consequently, the application was dismissed, with the husband's costs in relation to that application being reserved. The proceedings were then listed for a call over and potential allocation of a hearing date.