Gaulit and Bunker

In *Gaulit and Bunker*, heard before Bennett J, the dispute concerned financial matters between a husband and wife. The wife had filed applications on 30 October 2009 and 3 February 2009, to which the husband responded on 10 November 2009.

The court was required to determine the appropriate orders regarding the wife's legal expenses and the disposition of the parties' applications. Specifically, the court needed to decide how outstanding and future legal costs would be met and whether the wife's applications and the husband's response should be dismissed.

Bennett J ordered the husband to pay the wife $135,000 within 30 days into her lawyers' trust account. Of this sum, $60,000 was to be used for outstanding legal expenses, and $75,000 was allocated for future legal costs and disbursements of the wife in the proceedings, with a restriction that it not be used otherwise unless by further court order. The applications of the wife filed on 30 October 2009 and 3 February 2009, and the husband’s response filed on 10 November 2009, were otherwise dismissed. The parties' costs of and incidental to this application were reserved, with liberty to approach Registrar Riddiford for listing before Bennett J if a determination of costs was sought prior to the final hearing of the financial matters.