Wallis and George

This matter came before Le Poer Trench J concerning an application by the wife. The dispute involved various financial and company-related matters arising from the parties' separation, including the re-registration of a company, the completion of financial statements by an accountant named Mr S, the payment of debts, and the disclosure of documents.

The court was required to determine several legal issues. These included whether to discharge or extend existing orders made by a Registrar concerning the completion of financial work by Mr S and the payment of associated costs. The court also had to consider the husband's obligation to re-register a company, the provision of vehicle registration papers, and the terms of access to the husband's diary. Furthermore, the court needed to address the drawdown of a mortgage redraw facility to pay for specific debts and the costs of Mr S's work, and how these payments should be treated in the final property settlement.

Le Poer Trench J reasoned that the existing orders regarding Mr S's work needed to be extended to include the accounts for the year ended 30 June 2011, with a clear deadline for completion. The court ordered that the costs of Mr S's work be initially borne by the relevant entities, with any shortfall to be met jointly by the parties through their mortgage redraw facility. The apportionment of these costs was reserved for the trial judge. The husband was ordered to provide duplicate registration papers for a motor vehicle to the wife. The court also mandated the husband's immediate action to re-register the company, P Pty Ltd, and ordered both parties to instruct their solicitors to sign a letter of instruction to Mr S and to ensure Mr S provided timesheets, the tax portal, and source documents. Access to the husband's diary was restricted to the wife's solicitor, with leave reserved for the wife to apply for further access.

The court made various orders, including discharging certain previous orders and extending others. It ordered the drawdown of the mortgage redraw facility to pay for Mr S's work and specific debts of the wife, with these payments to be considered at the final property hearing. The court dismissed one of the wife's requested orders and listed the proceedings for further mention.