Versace & Versace & Ors

In the matter of *Versace & Versace & Ors*, Dawe J considered an application concerning the inspection of documents obtained via subpoena and the future conduct of proceedings. The parties involved were not explicitly identified beyond "the parties" and "the wife," but the context suggests a family law dispute involving financial matters, given the nature of the subpoenas issued to financial institutions and an airline.

The primary legal issues before the Court were whether leave should be granted for the parties to inspect and copy documents produced pursuant to subpoenas issued to ANZ Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, American Express, and Qantas Airways. Additionally, the Court was required to determine the wife's costs in relation to her objection to these subpoenas and to consider the arrangements for the final hearing of the matter, including the possibility of a settlement conference.

Dawe J granted leave for the parties to inspect and copy the subpoenaed documents, indicating that the objections raised by the wife were not sufficient to prevent disclosure at this stage. The Court reserved the question of the wife's costs associated with her objection to the subpoenas for determination by the trial judge, acknowledging that the merits of those objections might be more fully assessed in the context of the overall proceedings. The Court also referred the application for final orders to the Docket Registrar, directing that the matter not be listed for directions before January 2013, and strongly recommended that the parties consider a settlement conference, while also permitting them to pursue private mediation arrangements beforehand.