Grattan and Grattan and Anor (No. 6)

In the matter of *Grattan and Grattan and Anor (No. 6)*, Cronin J considered an application by the wife for interim orders in proceedings involving the husband and a second respondent. The dispute concerned the management and disposition of funds and assets, particularly those held by the husband and various entities listed in Annexure A, referred to collectively as the "Grattan Entities".

The court was required to determine the terms of interim orders to govern the financial affairs of the parties and the Grattan Entities pending final resolution of the proceedings. Specifically, the court had to consider how monies payable or receivable by the husband and the Grattan Entities should be handled, the restrictions to be placed on drawing from or dealing with accounts held by the husband or the Grattan Entities, and the payment of liabilities incurred by credit card use. The court also had to address the immediate release of funds from a NAB facility to the husband and wife.

Cronin J reasoned that it was necessary to implement stringent measures to preserve assets and ensure financial transparency. The court ordered the establishment of a joint Westpac account into which all monies payable or receivable by the husband and the Grattan Entities were to be deposited forthwith and without deduction. The husband was prohibited from dealing with these monies other than by depositing them into the joint account, and from drawing upon any accounts in his name or the Grattan Entities' names without the wife's written consent, except in the ordinary course of business. The court also ordered that liabilities incurred by credit card use by the husband or Grattan Entities were to be paid solely from a sum of $150,000 to be paid to the husband, and that existing accounts were not to be used for such payments.

The court further ordered that $150,000 each be drawn down from a NAB facility in the name of the second respondent and paid to the husband and wife respectively, to be treated as part-property settlements. Additionally, the court restrained National Australia Bank Limited, ANZ Banking Corporation Limited, and Westpac Banking Corporation Limited from permitting any drawings or dealings with accounts in the names of the husband and Grattan Entities, save for amounts properly owing to those banks. The wife's application for interim orders was otherwise dismissed, and outstanding applications for final hearing were adjourned.