Hidden money and years of fear: 100% of the known pool to her

Ms Ruann and Mr Pervez married in 1995 and separated on 1 December 2021, after about 26 years. They had four children, and the youngest still lives with her. He was the family's only income earner and ran a construction business. She cared for the children. By the trial, the main asset was his company, which owned a share in a development site and was valued at $2,235,591.

Judge Monahan found that the husband's failure to disclose his finances was "egregious and flagrant". The evening before an interim hearing, he had transferred 99 of his 100 shares in that company to a business associate. Against court orders, he put his building company into liquidation and moved its business to a company run by his brother. He kept about $1 million from the sale of a second property they had owned and never showed where it went. He also owned an overseas property he had not disclosed.

The judge accepted the wife's evidence of violence and financial control during the marriage, including keeping her short of money for the household. The family had lived "in a state of constant fear and anxiety". That made her contributions significantly more arduous. With her greater contributions since separation as well, contributions were assessed at 55% to her and 45% to him.

Then came the future. She will care for their youngest child, who needs a high level of care, probably into adulthood. He had undisclosed income and support from his family, and the judge found that the money and property in his sole control, which could not be traced, were on the evidence as much as, or more than, she would receive. The judge added 45% for these factors, giving her 100% of the known pool of $2,607,653.83. He was ordered to pay her $2,442,153, or the development site would be sold.

He appealed. In December 2025 Justice Austin dismissed the appeal. An adjustment that large "would very often be considered extraordinary", he said, but numerous plausible reasons had been given for it.