Strahan & Strahan (Interim Financial Orders)

In *Strahan & Strahan*, heard by Dawe J in the Family Court of Australia, the wife sought various interim orders concerning property settlement, child support, and spousal maintenance, as well as discovery of certain documents. The husband contested these applications, particularly regarding the quantum of the asset pool and the wife's claimed expenses.

The court was required to determine whether it was just and equitable to make interim orders for property settlement and spousal maintenance, given the significant disputes regarding the size of the matrimonial asset pool and the wife's claimed costs for the child. Additionally, the court had to consider the wife's application for a departure from a child support assessment and her request for discovery of historical documents.

Dawe J dismissed the wife's applications for interim property settlement and departure from the child support assessment, finding that the evidence had not been tested and it was not appropriate to make orders on an interim basis. Similarly, the application for discovery of old documents was dismissed as the relevance of the documents to the issues before the court was not established. However, in relation to spousal maintenance, acknowledging the parties' high standard of living during the marriage and considering the funds available to the wife since separation, the court ordered the husband to pay a lump sum of $325,000 within twenty-one days.