Cooper v Mulcahy [2012] NSWSC 373

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Cooper v Mulcahy [2012] NSWSC 373 Hearing dates: 4, 5, 6, 8 11, 12 July 2011, 5, 6, 7, 8, 26, 27 September 2011, 30 November, 1, 2 December 2011, 30 January 2012 Decision date: 23 April 2012 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Associate Justice Macready Decision: I direct the parties to bring in short minutes Catchwords: FAMILY LAW - application for adjustment of parties' property interests pursuant to s 20 of the Property (Relationships) Act 1984 - de facto relationship of approximately 15 years - whether it is appropriate to take account of a lottery win in the adjustment process - TORT - assault and battery - cross-claim for assaults by plaintiff - limitation period relating to each assault - some assaults statute barred - whether defendant suffered from a disability - compensatory damages - aggravated and exemplary damages - order made for adjustment Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 Family Law Act 1975 Limitation Act 1969 Limitation (Amendment) Act 1990 Property (Relationships) Act 1984 Cases Cited: Baker v Towle [2008] NSWCA 73 Bilous v Mudaliar [2006] NSWCA 38; 65 NSWLR 615 Bova v Locke [2005] NSWCA 226 Chanter v Catts 64 NSWLR 366, [2005] NSWCA 411 Doherty v Doherty (1996) FLC 92-652 Dowrick v Sissons (1996) 20 Fam LR 466 Evans v Marmont (1992) 42 NSWLR 70 Howlett v Neilson [2005] NSWCA 149 Jackson v Jackson (NSWSC, 26 March 1999, unreported) Kardos v Sarbutt [2006] NSWCA 11 Kotulski v Attard [1981] 1 NSWLR 115 Manns v Kennedy [2007] NSWCA 217 Marando v Marando (1997) FLC 92-754 Marker v Marker (1998) FamCA 42 Marsh v Marsh (1993) 17 Fam LR 289 New South Wales v Harlum [2007] NSWCA 120 Norbis v Norbis (1985-1986) 161 CLR 513 Olive v Johnstone [2006] NSWCA 21 O'Neill v Foster (2004) 61 NSWLR 499 Saunders v Jackson [2009] NSWCA 192 Senno v Bailey [2011] NSWSC 679 Separovich v Ferrao [2011] NSWCA 180 State of New South Wales v Radford [2010] NSWCA 276 Varmedja v Varmedja [2007] NSWDC 385 Wallace v Stanford (1997) 37 NSWLR 1 Wendt v Wood [2011] NSWSC 781 XL Petroleum NSW Pty Ltd v Caltex Oil (Aust) Pty Ltd [1985] HCA 12; 155 CLR 448 Zorom Enterprises v Zabow [2007] NSWCA 106) Texts Cited: Carolyn Sappideen et al, Fleming's The Law of Torts, 10th ed (2011) Thomson Reuters. Category: Principal judgment Parties: Robert Bruce Cooper (plaintiff) Barbara Alicja Mulcahy (defendant) Representation: Counsel Mr P Maiden SC & Mr J Priestley (plaintiff) Mr MB Williams SC & Mr CK Hickey (defendant) Solicitors Fishburn Watson O.Brien (plaintiff) AR Conolly & Company (defendant) File Number(s): 2008/280481