Hughes and Hughes

In *Hughes and Hughes*, heard by Cronin J, the wife sought to vary an existing property settlement order, while the husband opposed this application. The dispute concerned the division of assets following the parties' separation.

The central legal issue before the court was whether there had been a significant unforeseen change in circumstances since the making of the original property settlement orders, which would justify a variation of those orders. The court was required to assess the nature and impact of any alleged changes and determine if they met the threshold for varying a final property settlement.

Cronin J dismissed both the wife's application for variation and the husband's response. The court found that the circumstances presented did not meet the stringent test required to alter a final property settlement. Consequently, the original orders remained in effect. The wife was ordered to pay the husband's costs fixed at $3100 within three months.