45Stay and transfer of proceedings

45 Stay and transfer of proceedings

(1) Where there are pending in a court proceedings that have been instituted under this Act and it appears to that court that other proceedings that have been so instituted in relation to the same marriage or void marriage or the same matter are pending in another court, the first‑mentioned court may stay the first‑mentioned proceedings for such time as it considers appropriate or may dismiss the proceedings. (1A) For the purposes of subsection (1), if the bankruptcy trustee of a bankrupt party to a marriage applies under section 139A of the Bankruptcy Act 1966 for an order under Division 4A of Part VI of that Act, proceedings relating to that application are taken to be proceedings under this Act in relation to the marriage. (1B) For the purposes of subsection (1): (a) a de facto financial cause instituted in relation to a de facto relationship; and (b) proceedings relating to an application, by the bankruptcy trustee of one of the parties to the de facto relationship, under section 139A of the Bankruptcy Act 1966 for an order under Division 4A of Part VI of that Act; are taken to be proceedings under this Act in relation to the same matter. (1C) For the purposes of subsection (1), the first proceedings set out in each item of following table, and the second proceedings set out in that item, are taken to relate to the same matter if one of the parties to each marriage, void marriage or de facto relationship referred to in that item is the same.

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="width:352pt; border-collapse:collapse"><thead><tr><td colspan="3" style="width:341.2pt; border-top:1.5pt solid #000000; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext" style="page-break-after:avoid"><span style="font-weight:bold">Proceedings relating to the same matter</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:22.2pt; border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; border-bottom:1.5pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext" style="page-break-after:avoid"><span style="font-weight:bold">Item</span></p></td><td style="width:148.7pt; border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; border-bottom:1.5pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext" style="page-break-after:avoid"><span style="font-weight:bold">First proceedings</span></p></td><td style="width:148.7pt; border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; border-bottom:1.5pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext" style="page-break-after:avoid"><span style="font-weight:bold">Second proceedings</span></p></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="width:22.2pt; border-top:1.5pt solid #000000; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext" style="page-break-after:avoid"><span>1</span></p></td><td style="width:148.7pt; border-top:1.5pt solid #000000; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext" style="page-break-after:avoid"><span>a matrimonial cause instituted in relation to a marriage (or void marriage)</span></p></td><td style="width:148.7pt; border-top:1.5pt solid #000000; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext" style="page-break-after:avoid"><span>a</span><span> </span><span>de</span><span> </span><span>facto</span><span> </span><span>financial cause instituted in relation to a</span><span> </span><span>de</span><span> </span><span>facto</span><span> </span><span>relationship</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:22.2pt; border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; border-bottom:1.5pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext" style="page-break-after:avoid"><span>2</span></p></td><td style="width:148.7pt; border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; border-bottom:1.5pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext" style="page-break-after:avoid"><span>a</span><span> </span><span>de</span><span> </span><span>facto</span><span> </span><span>financial cause instituted in relation to a</span><span> </span><span>de</span><span> </span><span>facto</span><span> </span><span>relationship</span></p></td><td style="width:148.7pt; border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; border-bottom:1.5pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext" style="page-break-after:avoid"><span>a</span><span> </span><span>de</span><span> </span><span>facto</span><span> </span><span>financial cause instituted in relation to a</span><span> </span><span>de</span><span> </span><span>facto</span><span> </span><span>relationship</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table>