Keefe and Thacker

In *Keefe and Thacker*, heard before Rees J, the applicant sought orders for costs in property settlement proceedings. The respondent was ordered to pay the applicant's costs from 12 January 2018 until the delivery of judgment, with the remainder of the costs application being dismissed.

The central legal issue before the court was the appropriate allocation of costs in property settlement proceedings, specifically whether the applicant was entitled to all their costs or only a portion thereof.

Rees J's reasoning focused on the conduct of the parties during the proceedings. While the applicant was successful in obtaining an order for costs from a specific date, the dismissal of the remainder of the application suggests that the court found some aspects of the applicant's conduct or claims did not warrant a full costs order. The court applied principles of cost allocation in family law matters, balancing the overall success of a party with their conduct throughout the litigation.

The final orders reflect a partial success for the applicant in their costs application, with the respondent ordered to pay costs for a defined period of the proceedings.