Barrister's Misconduct: Lying About Inheritance

0:00It's March 22nd. This is Sydney News Today, your AI-powered local news. A barrister in New South Wales has been ruled guilty of professional misconduct after lying about his inheritance in a family law dispute with his ex-partner. The New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal found that in a 2017 affidavit, he claimed to have received only $70,000 dollars from his late mother's estate back in 2012. In reality, he got nearly $230,000 dollars. The issue came to light in 2020 when his ex-partner's lawyers spotted inconsistencies in the state documents. He then filed a corrected affidavit, admitting the true amount, but the Tribunal noted he could not explain why he understated it initially and failed. To check any records, Tribunal members described him as an evasive and unimpressive witness, who often dodged questions or claimed not to recall details. They stressed this was not a one-time slip, but a prolonged failure over three years, showing

1:00a lack of candor expected from a seasoned lawyer. He also deliberately ignored a court order to hand over financial records about how he spent the inheritance and breached an undertaking by taking out. A mortgage on the family home for over $330,000 dollars without disclosure. This was for personal debts, not court-approved needs. Disciplinary orders are still to come from the Tribunal, which could severely impact his ability to practice law, though the findings are on the civil, standard, and not criminal. His identity remains protected by court orders.