Chatterjee and Woodby-Chatterjee

In the matter of *Chatterjee and Woodby-Chatterjee*, heard before Rees J, the dispute concerned the costs associated with applications filed by the wife on 13 January 2015 and 7 October 2015. The specific nature of these applications is not detailed, but the outcome relates to the wife's obligation to pay the husband's costs.

The central legal issue before the court was the determination of how and from what sources the wife was to satisfy the costs order in favour of the husband. The court was required to consider the appropriate mechanism for the payment of these assessed or agreed costs.

Rees J ordered that the wife pay the husband’s costs of the specified applications on a party and party basis. Crucially, the court stipulated that these costs were to be paid from any funds the wife might receive through either the property settlement process or by enforcing the Binding Financial Agreement previously entered into by the parties in 2003. This directed payment mechanism aimed to ensure the husband's costs were met from the available divisible assets or contractual entitlements.