SA judge says woman’s 12-year, $40 million stoush with her divorce lawyers has become a ‘farce’

THE Adelaide woman embroiled in Australia’s most expensive divorce is “creating a cottage industry” with her repeatedly delayed, “somewhat farcical” 12-year, $40 million case, a judge says.

THE Adelaide woman embroiled in Australia’s most expensive divorce is “creating a cottage industry” with her repeatedly delayed and “somewhat farcical” case, a judge says.

On Wednesday, Supreme Court Judge Graham Dart weighed in on the 12-year, $40 million, repeatedly adjourned stoush between the woman and several of her former solicitors.

Asked, yet again, to postpone the matter because the woman — who cannot be identified — had not attended court, Judge Dart asked if another delay would actually progress the case.

“She was told, last time, the court would deal with the matter whether she appears or not ... she is, in a sense, creating a cottage industry,” he said.

“This has all the flavour of kicking a can down the road ... this is becoming somewhat farcical ... these proceedings were issued years ago and we still haven’t got to a hearing.”

The woman, and her ex-husband who lives between Adelaide and several international locations, cannot be named because of their separate Family Court case, which began in 2005.

It is understood the woman is seeking a multimillion-dollar property settlement, and millions in child support, from her ex-husband.

In 2010, The Advertiser, revealed she was suing Donaldson Walsh, her law firm team, for “unfairly” charging her $4.12 million in fees.

The case outlasted the career of the judge presiding over it — Judge Robert Lunn retired in 2013, telling the parties he “was not volunteering” to continue hearing it.

It subsequently settled out of court.

In February, The Advertiser revealed the woman had filed suit against the firm Winter and Co, in Frankston, Victoria, over its bill.

She claimed that, since 2010, they had charged so much for their services that she had just $5.25 left to contest the still-ongoing Family Court case.

In October, she asked both that claim and a suit filed against her by yet another firm, Pederick Lawyers — which claims it is owed between $1 million and $2 million — be postponed.

She said she was “embarrassed” by the “perception” she is “a difficult client” and wanted to find counsel “who tells me the truth” before proceeding.

On Wednesday, lawyer Peter Heinrich appeared for the woman “under the instructions” of law firm Tindall Gask Bentley.

However, he stressed that firm — better known as TGB — was not formally acting for the woman, and had instructed him to appear only to seek another adjournment.

Judge Dart was unsatisfied by that position.

“It’s curious — you have appeared on this matter on and off for a couple of years, each time for different solicitors,” he said.

“It’s just a statement of fact, given (the woman) appears to have trouble maintaining relationships with lawyers.”

He said he was prepared to grant an adjournment — but wanted all matters pertaining to the woman and her divorce heard on the same day in January.

“I think the best option is to give her one final chance — and to make sure it’s the final chance,” he said.