Judge orders Darwin lawyer Lucy Zhao to pay $40,000 costs personally
The $40,000 bill is twice the $20,000 her company spent almost two years chasing.
The Northern Territory Supreme Court ordered Darwin lawyer Lucy Zhao to pay a $40,000 legal bill personally. Justice Dean Hiley suggested she may have tried to 'squeeze' another $20,000 from her ex-husband's property share.
The judge found the $20,000 was already part of a property settlement involving about $6 million in assets. Ms Zhao lost on this claim in three separate legal proceedings.
During the appeal, Civitas Properties offered her company $2500 to settle, and she rejected it within an hour. The judge said the offer was rejected 'peremptorily, imprudently and quite unreasonably'.
Ms Zhao declined to comment further, saying she respected the court's decisions.
- $40,000, payable personally
- Costs ordered
- $20,000
- Disputed claim
- About $6 million in assets
- Property settlement
- 23 years
- Marriage
Why it mattersThe judge ordered Ms Zhao to pay the bill herself, alongside her company.
AustraliaHere in the Northern Territory, a judge can make the person running a case pay its costs personally, not just the company.
Corroborated by7news.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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