Pascoe and Pascoe

In *Pascoe and Pascoe*, Cronin J of the Family Court of Australia considered an application by the husband for summary dismissal of proceedings and the wife's response to that application.

The central legal issue before the court was whether the husband's application for summary dismissal should be granted. This required the court to assess whether the proceedings, as presented, were so lacking in merit or otherwise defective as to warrant an early termination.

Cronin J dismissed the husband's application for summary dismissal and the wife's response thereto. The court ordered that the parties attend a conciliation conference to genuinely attempt to resolve their outstanding issues. Furthermore, the parties were directed to comply with the *Family Law Rules 2004* regarding the filing of initiating applications, clearly stating the jurisdiction relied upon, and to exchange documents in preparation for the conciliation conference. Provisions were also made for any applications for costs, including timelines for submissions and responses.