Billington and Billington (No. 2)

In *Billington and Billington (No. 2)*, the wife sought orders for the husband to produce certain documents relating to the valuation of the P Group. The dispute concerned the extent of disclosure required from the husband regarding communications with his solicitors and a third party, MJ, in the context of obtaining information for a court-appointed single expert. The matter came before Cronin J.

The primary legal issue before the court was whether the husband was obliged to disclose file notes and correspondence with his solicitors concerning the valuation of the P Group, and similarly, communications with MJ in relation to discrete inquiries made during the provision of information to the single expert. These latter communications were particularly contentious as they related to attendances billed to the husband, for which he sought a contribution from the wife.

Cronin J reasoned that the documents sought by the wife were relevant to the valuation of the P Group and the husband's claim for contribution. The court applied principles of discovery and disclosure, considering the scope of documents that should be made available to a party in family law proceedings, particularly where those documents relate to expert evidence and financial contributions. The court determined that the husband's solicitors' file notes and correspondence with Mr G, and the husband's solicitors' file notes and correspondence with MJ concerning the inquiries made for the single expert, were discoverable.

The court ordered that the husband produce to the wife for inspection all file notes and correspondence between his solicitors and Mr G in relation to the valuation of the P Group. Additionally, the husband was ordered to produce all file notes and correspondence between his solicitors and MJ concerning discrete inquiries made by MJ of the solicitors in the course of providing information to the court-appointed single expert, where such attendances were billed to the husband and a contribution was sought from the wife.