Mahoney & Anor and Dieter

In the matter of *Mahoney & Anor and Dieter*, heard by Bennett J, the First Applicant Stepfather and Second Applicant Mother commenced an application on 14 June 2020. The nature of the dispute, as determined by the court, was that this application constituted a vexatious proceeding.

The central legal issue before the court was whether the application filed by the applicants fell within the definition of a vexatious proceeding as contemplated by section 102(Q)(1) of the *Family Law Act 1975*.

Bennett J found that the application indeed constituted a vexatious proceeding under the relevant section of the *Family Law Act 1975*. The court's reasoning, though not detailed in the provided text, led to the conclusion that the proceeding met the criteria for being vexatious.

Consequently, the court ordered that the application instituted by the First Applicant Stepfather and Second Applicant Mother on 14 June 2020 was to be conducted as a vexatious proceeding within the meaning of s 102(Q)(1) of the *Family Law Act 1975*. This order is subject to its formal entry into the Court’s records.