DREWETT & GRIFFITH

The Full Court of the Family Court of Australia heard an appeal by the husband against orders made by a registrar in family law proceedings. The dispute concerned the division of property between the parties.

The primary legal issue before the Full Court was whether the registrar had erred in law by failing to consider the husband's claim for a contribution-based adjustment to the property settlement, specifically in relation to his alleged non-financial contributions to the marriage. The husband argued that the registrar had overlooked or given insufficient weight to his contributions as a homemaker and parent.

Foster J, delivering the judgment of the Full Court, found that the registrar's reasons did not demonstrate that the husband's non-financial contributions had been properly considered. His Honour referred to the principles established in cases such as *Mallett v Mallett* and *Harris v Harris*, which emphasise the importance of assessing all contributions, financial and non-financial, when determining property settlements. The court concluded that the registrar had failed to adequately address this aspect of the husband's case, thereby committing an error of law.

Consequently, the Full Court ordered that the husband's application be dismissed, implying that the appeal was allowed and the registrar's orders were set aside, though the specific consequential orders regarding the property settlement itself were not detailed in the provided text.