Pullman and Garafolo

This matter came before McEvoy J concerning an application by the Respondent Mother to adjourn a hearing scheduled to commence on 25 August 2019. The dispute involved family law proceedings, with the Applicant Father and Respondent Mother as the primary parties, and an Independent Children's Lawyer also involved.

The court was required to determine whether to grant the Respondent Mother's application for an adjournment. In addition, the court considered the need to manage the procedural steps leading up to the hearing, including the filing and service of various documents and the resolution of evidentiary objections.

McEvoy J dismissed the Respondent Mother's application for an adjournment. The court then made detailed orders extending the time for compliance with previous trial orders made by Justice Johns on 2 May 2019. These orders stipulated specific deadlines for the Respondent Mother to file an amended response, affidavits of evidence in chief, and a financial statement. Further deadlines were set for the Independent Children's Lawyer to file affidavits, the Applicant Father to file affidavits in reply, and for parties to raise and resolve objections to evidence. The court also ordered that practitioners file and serve a concise set of proposed orders, lists of evidence to be read, assets and liabilities, evidentiary objections requiring rulings, and a summary of arguments by 23 August 2019. Any further applications for interim orders were to be made directly to McEvoy J's chambers.