Rickard and Rickard

In *Rickard and Rickard*, Justice Fowler of the Family Court of Australia considered a dispute between a husband and wife concerning property ownership and occupation. The wife was ordered to vacate the former matrimonial home, and the husband was directed to pay a sum of money to the wife upon her vacating the premises.

The central legal issues before the court were the determination of the parties' respective legal and beneficial ownership of property, and the appropriate orders regarding the occupation of the former matrimonial home and a consequent financial settlement.

Justice Fowler reasoned that each party was to be declared the legal and beneficial owner of the property they individually held. The court further ordered that the wife must leave the matrimonial home within 28 days of the orders being made. Contemporaneously with the wife vacating, the husband was to pay her $135,000.