Porte and Rahma and Ors

The proceeding involved an application by Ask Funding Limited, filed on 28 July 2009, and a response thereto, before Mushin J of the Family Court of Australia. The dispute concerned various applications, including one by a liquidator pursuant to s.79A of the *Family Law Act 1975*, which had been scheduled for hearing on 12 April 2009.

The court was required to determine the appropriate procedural path for the applications before it, particularly concerning the application filed by Ask Funding Limited and the liquidator's application. This involved deciding whether to proceed with a hearing, refer matters for further directions, or vacate existing hearing dates.

Mushin J ordered that the further hearing of the application by Ask Funding Limited and any response be referred to Registrar Sikiotis for the making of appropriate orders and directions. The hearing date for the liquidator's application pursuant to s.79A of the *Family Law Act 1975* was vacated, and all other applications were also referred to the Registrar. The court further directed that if the application referred to the Registrar had not been determined by consent or withdrawal by 4:00 pm on Monday, 25 January 2010, it was to be forthwith referred back into court before Mushin J for determination. Liberty was reserved to all parties to apply for costs, and it was certified that the matter reasonably required the attendance of counsel.