Date of Admission as a Barrister: 7 August 1998
Areas of Practice at the Bar:
Barrister practising principally in Family Law, De Facto Relationships Act matters and associated areas at trial and appellate level dealing with the following issues:
Property cases
- Property disputes regarding the assessment of contribution and adjustment under s 75(2) and 90SF(3) Family Law Act
- Issues in valuations of real estate
- Valuation of interests in companies and trusts
- Equitable interests including resulting and constructive trusts
- Single expert disputes
- Joinder of third parties
- Addbacks, wastage and Kowaliw issues
- Third party interests and disputes, accrued jurisdiction
- Disputes regarding subpoenas, discovery and disclosure
- Impact of gifts, inheritances and disputed third party debts.
- Complex trust and family arrangements.
- Urgent Mareva injunctions, Anton Piller orders.
- Enforceability of Financial agreements.
- Setting aside of Orders Financial agreements and Orders
- Creditor intervention in property disputes
- Property disputes involving trustees in bankruptcy
- Spousal Maintenance issues
- Child Support issues
Children’s cases
- Disputed parental responsibility, residence and contact issues
- Child at risk issues resulting from alcohol and substance abuse, mental health issues
- Contravention cases
- Overseas travel
- Relocation issues
Practice as Solicitor:
1984-1998
Watkins Tapsell at Kirrawee
Tertiary qualifications
Bachelor of Commerce (Major in accounting) and Law from University of NSW 1983.
Recent Appellate Cases include:-
Molloy & Molloy [2016] FamCAFC 264 (14 December 2016) (Application for reinstatement and costs application.)
Ainsley & Lake [2016] FamCAFC 253 (24 November 2016) (Application to extend time to file Notice of Appeal and costs application.)
Keynes & Keynes [2014] FamCAFC 169 (10 September 2014) (Application to extend leave to file on matters of significance.)
Mayne & Mayne (No. 2) [2012] FamCAFC 90 (19 June 2012) and Mayne & Mayne [2012] FamCAFC 56 (27 April 2012) (Appeal regarding inheritance and superannuation issues.)
Brennan & Shaw (Costs) [2010] FamCAFC 152 (20 August 2010) (Costs application.)
Shaw (2008) FamCA 744 (Children’s Case – stay pending appeal)
Rodgers v Pizani (2007) FamCA 151 (Security for costs on appeal)
O’Doherty (2006) FLC 93-256 (Superannuation splitting and property adjustment)
Mullen v De Bry (2006) FLC 93-293 (Review of Full Court decision in Waugh, Application of Mareva Injunction principles to Family Law)
CKT v SCT (2006) FamCA 403 (Appeal re shared time arrangement)
Jackson v Jackson (2000) NSWCA 303 (Property adjustment under De Facto Relationship Act (as it then was), claim for damages for assault in domestic situation)
Recent Trial Cases Family Law
Albers & Haymans (2018) FCCA 3672 (Parenting – interim orders – time with the father – alleged alcohol intake issues – risk issues – injunctive relief – overseas trip – costs)
Tassinari & Pesalaccio & Ors (2018) FamCA 12 (Anton Piller orders.)
Ashley & Ashley (2017) FamCA 997 (Property: Add backs, loan to party’s family, husband greater earning capacity. Adjustment under s 75(2). Wife to retain home.)
Molloy & Molloy [2016] FCCA 2400 (22 September 2016) (Property settlement where one party made significant contributions post-separation.)
Ping & Truang [2016] FamCA 614 (29 July 2016) (Costs application.)
Nghiem & Astey [2016] FamCA 458 (9 June 2016) (Property settlement.)
The Estate of the late Ms Fan & Lok [2015] FamCA 300 (28 April 2015) (Property settlement where financial agreement under s 90B of the Family Law Act 1975 existed.)
Wolter & Wolter (No. 2) [2014] FamCA 485 (2 July 2014) (Contravention application.)
Johnson & Johnson [2014] FCCA 734 (17 April 2014) (Parenting and property settlement.)
Hagi & Hagi [2013] FamCA 733 (20 September 2013) (Hague Convention and DFAT travel warning)
Blake & Walker [2013] FCCA 1039 (18 July 2013) (Interim property settlement regarding lottery win.)
Teasdales & Teasdales [2013] FCCA 429 (27 June 2013) (Property settlement.)
Yellin & Temple [2013] FCCA 360 (30 May 2013) (Property settlement in context of long term marriage and post-separation contributions.)
Kavan & Mallery & Anor [2013] FCCA 210 (10 May 2013) (Equitable estoppel in context of de facto relationship breakdown.)
Alexiou & Alexiou [2012] FamCA 1146 (14 December 2012) (Notional assets and add-backs.)
Biddell & Ervin [2012] FMCAfam 926 (5 September 2012) (Contravention of parenting orders.)
Langan & Thurston [2012] FMCAfam 345 (24 April 2012) (Variation of parenting orders.)
Callet & Bellanda [2011] FamCA 879 (18 November 2011) (Parental responsibility.)
McIllroy & McIllry [2011] FamCA 506 (1 July 2011) (Assessment of post separation contributions.)
Wu & Heaton-Wu [2011] FMCAfam 144 (19 April 2011) (Just and equitable spousal maintenance.)
Hiroma and Anor & Hiroma and Anor [2011] FamCA 75 (21 February 2011) (Parental responsibility and time with grandparents.)
Langan & Thurston [2010] FMCAfam 781 (23 July 2010) (Admissibility of expert evidence.)
Zheng & Tram & Ors [2010] FMCAfam 698 (8 June 2010) (Mareva Injunction.)
Deveraux & Deveraux [2009] FamCA 1363 (24 December 2009) (Property settlement.)
Mayne & Mayne (No.2) [2009] FMCAfam 910 (4 September 2009) (Costs.)
O’Hara & O’Hara and Ors [2009] FamCA 581 (6 July 2009) (Costs.)
Silas & Barry [2009] FMCAfam 448 (8 May 2009) (Unilateral relocation by mother, return of children, change of name of children.)
Kouros & Kouros [2009] FMCAfam 242 (20 March 2009) (Property, whether leave should be added to property pool, contributions)
Simpson & Simpson [2009] FamCA 100 (18 February 2009) (Children’s issues regarding attitude towards mother, property issues regarding contributions, worker’s compensation and capacity for work.)
Vadisanis v Vadisanis (2009) FamCA 121 (Children’s Shared Time Arrangements)
Simpson v Simpson (2009) FamCA 100 (Property division, add back for legal costs, husband’s capacity for work)
Hiroma v Hiroma (2008) FamCA 901 (legal practitioner’s withdrawal from case alleged conflict of interest)
Weldon v Sulter (2008) FamCA 459 (Children’s case, residency, splitting of children)
Woods v Woods (2008) FamCA 65 (Children’s case – Hague Convention)
O’Hara v O’Hara (2008) FamCA 189 (Alteration of property interests, deliberate non-disclosure, accrued jurisdiction, resulting trust, presumption of advancements, constructive trust, equitable estoppel, equitable charge and contribution.)
Merrill v Jeffreys (2007) FamCA 197 (alleged disclosures of abuse)
Lay v Isbister (2007) FamCA 46 (issues re parental responsibility)
Haddoc v Haddoc (2007) FamCA 747 (property settlement, inheritance, non-disclosure)
Mullen v De Bry (2007) FMCA (subpoena, abuse of process, claim of client legal privilege, stay pending appeal)
Y v Y (2007) FMCA 76 (property matter, valuation of financial resource, non-disclosure, future need)
Mano v Trenoski (2007) FMCFam 675 (property matter, debts not included in property pool)
Serifovic (2006) FMCA 420 (property settlement, losses from failed litigation, add back of debts re litigation)
KEK v BK (2005) FMCAFam 250 (adult child maintenance, child with disabilities, tertiary education, course of study, child support departure application)
RB v TB (2004) FMCAFam (property, parties conspired to defaud Centrelink, Centrelink debt, joint matrimonial property, funds drawn from mortgage after separation)