Jeffrey and Goodrow

In the matter of *Jeffrey and Goodrow*, heard in the Federal Circuit Court of Australia, the parties, Ms Jeffrey (the Applicant) and Mr Goodrow (the Respondent), brought proceedings concerning their property interests. The central dispute revolved around the division of assets and liabilities following the termination of their relationship.

The court was required to determine whether the parties had been in a de facto relationship for the purposes of the *Family Law Act 1975* and, if so, to make orders regarding the division of their property. Specifically, the court needed to ascertain the commencement and termination dates of any de facto relationship and then apply the relevant provisions of the Act to distribute the parties' assets, including real property, bank accounts, and other possessions.

Judge Harman declared that Ms Jeffrey and Mr Goodrow had lived together in a de facto relationship commencing no later than 8 January 2010 and ending no later than 7 January 2013, pursuant to section 90RD of the *Family Law Act 1975*. The court then made orders for the Respondent to transfer his interest in a specific property in the Australian Capital Territory to the Applicant at the Applicant's expense, and to facilitate the Applicant refinancing the mortgage on that property into her sole name. Further orders directed the Respondent to transfer his interest in a joint bank account to the Applicant. The court also made orders that, save for enforcing monies due, each party was solely entitled to property in their possession, with joint bank accounts becoming the Applicant's property, and each party foregoing claims to the other's superannuation. Each party was to be solely liable for liabilities encumbering property they received, and any joint tenancies were severed. The application and response were otherwise dismissed.