PATRON & PATRON

In the matter of *Patron & Patron*, Aldridge J of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia considered an application concerning property settlement and injunctive relief between a husband and wife. The dispute involved the division of marital assets and the husband's access to certain funds and investments.

The court was required to determine the terms of a property settlement, specifically how a sum of money would be paid to the husband from a mortgage account secured against a property. Additionally, the court had to consider whether to grant an injunction restraining the husband from dealing with certain joint loan accounts, real property, and shares held in the wife's name or within a superannuation fund, pending further orders. The court also addressed the husband's discharge from a previous undertaking and the costs of the proceedings.

Aldridge J ordered that, if the husband elected to do so, a sum of $260,703.00 was to be paid to him from the HSBC mortgage account secured against the Suburb A property, as a partial property settlement under section 79 of the *Family Law Act 1975* (Cth). The court also granted an injunction under section 114 of the *Family Law Act 1975* (Cth), restraining the husband from withdrawing funds from joint loan accounts, encumbering jointly owned real property, or selling or purchasing shares in the wife's name or the Patron Family Superannuation Fund without the wife's consent or leave of the court. Liberty was granted to the husband to seek to vary this injunction in relation to the superannuation fund. The husband was discharged from a prior undertaking, and each party was ordered to bear their own costs of the application filed on 7 November 2014.