Pirani & Pirani (No 3)

Pirani & Pirani (No 3) involves a dispute between the husband and wife regarding property settlement matters following their separation. The wife filed an affidavit on 5 June 2023 with 1,758 pages of exhibits, while the husband filed his affidavit on 29 June 2023 with 156 pages of exhibits. The court had directed that consideration would only be given to annexures or exhibits if they were identified in oral or written submissions. The court was required to decide various legal issues, including the characterisation and quantification of the wife's claim for periodic spousal maintenance and the parties' financial circumstances since separation.

The court considered the wife's evidence that she had been a homemaker and had contributed to the relationship by improving the husband's and the B Group's image and reputation. The court found that an order for the husband to pay the wife $3,500 per week by way of periodic spousal maintenance was proper, based on the wife's role in the relationship and the husband's financial means. The court also considered the husband's evidence that he had drawn down on a directors' loan to pay the wife and had ongoing expenses related to the Suburb G property.

In conclusion, the court found that the wife's claim for periodic spousal maintenance was justified and ordered the husband to pay the wife $3,500 per week. The court also considered the parties' financial circumstances since separation, including the husband's evidence of payments made to the wife and ongoing expenses related to the Suburb G property. The wife's evidence of threats made by the husband and the seizure of cash by the New South Wales Crime Commission were also considered in the context of the overall property settlement.

The final orders of the court are set out at the forefront of the judgment.