Wessell and Wessell and Anor

In the matter of Wessell and Wessell and Anor, Stevenson J made orders concerning the financial and property settlement between a husband and wife. The dispute involved the division of assets and liabilities, including shares in a private company, bank accounts, vehicles, and personal belongings, as well as the resolution of outstanding debts and the handling of sensitive personal material.

The court was required to determine the appropriate distribution of the parties' property and the allocation of their respective debts. This included establishing the ownership of shares in B Pty Ltd, the control and access to funds held in company bank accounts, and the division of various personal assets such as vehicles, share portfolios, and household contents. Furthermore, the court needed to address the responsibility for outstanding credit card debts and the disposition of explicit photographs.

Stevenson J's reasoning led to orders that required the husband to pay a specific sum to the wife within seven days. Pending this payment, the husband was restrained from dealing with his shares in B Pty Ltd and from taking certain actions concerning the company's directorship and financial operations, including the withdrawal of funds from specified company bank accounts. The orders also clarified the sole ownership of various assets and the sole responsibility for specific debts for each party, with provisions for mutual indemnities regarding liabilities incurred in the other's name, except where specifically provided otherwise. The husband was also ordered to provide explicit photographs of the wife to her solicitors and was restrained from disseminating them.