FRANCIS & FRANCIS

In *Francis & Francis*, heard before Watts J, the dispute concerned applications relating to costs and property, with the court ultimately considering the effect of orders for equal and opposite amounts and the justness of a costs concession.

The primary legal issues before the court were whether orders for equal and opposite amounts rendered a prior order nugatory, and what constituted a just outcome in relation to a concession made by one of the parties regarding costs.

Watts J reasoned that where orders for equal and opposite amounts were made, the effect was that neither party was to receive any net benefit from those specific orders, rendering them nugatory in practical terms. Regarding costs, the court considered the concession made by one party and determined that, in light of the overall circumstances and the nugatory nature of the substantive orders, there should be no order for costs to achieve a just outcome.

Consequently, all applications before the court were dismissed. Furthermore, there was no order for costs made, and the husband was restrained by consent from bringing any further costs applications in the matter.