Slater and Slater

In *Slater and Slater*, heard by Judge Young, the dispute concerned the division of property between a husband and wife. The court was required to make orders regarding the distribution of various assets, including funds held in a conveyancer's trust account, a monetary sum, a business, personal diaries and documents, and a time share interest.

The central legal issues before the court were how to equitably divide the parties' financial and non-financial assets. This involved determining the appropriate distribution of a significant sum of money held in trust, a specific monetary debt owed by the husband to the wife, the ownership of a business, the return of personal property, and the division of a jointly held time share interest.

Judge Young ordered that the husband was to authorise the payment of the entire sum held in the conveyancer's trust account, including principal and interest, to the wife within 90 days. Additionally, the husband was ordered to pay the wife $51,781 within the same timeframe. In return, the wife was to transfer her interest in the specified business to the husband contemporaneously with his compliance with these payment orders. The wife was also directed to forthwith deliver all of the husband's personal diaries and any documents or books of account relating to the business to him. The parties' time share interest was to be sold, with the proceeds to be divided equally. Otherwise, each party was to retain ownership of all property currently in their possession, with liberty to apply for consequential orders.