Enormous divorce trial gets under way
A divorce case expected to be one of New Zealand’s costliest started in Auckland with a barrister suggesting a businessman was dragging his heels on a $700,000 payment.
Former Otago couple Stephen ‘‘Tim’’ Biggs and Sophie Biggs married in 2011, but have been involved in divorce proceedings since 2016.
The Court of Appeal recently ordered Tim Biggs to pay $700,000 ‘‘without delay’’ after Sophie Biggs said she did not have enough money to finance the court battle.
‘‘Despite letters, no payment has been received, so he’s verging on contempt of court,’’ Sophie Biggs’ counsel, Lady Deborah Chambers, QC, told the High Court in Auckland yesterday.
‘‘Frankly sir, there seems to be a dragging of the chain by Mr Biggs,’’ Chambers told Justice Gerald Nation.
But Tim Biggs’ counsel, Jan Mccartney, QC, said the funds would be made available.
Justice Nation said he was satisfied Tim Biggs was making plans and the $700,000 transfer also relied on co-operation from a bank.
Chambers said the husband and wife were once ‘‘a very glamorous couple leading a very enjoyable life around the world’’.
She said the pair had properties in United States ski destination Aspen, Colorado, and surfing hotspot Noosa on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
Sophie Biggs joined proceedings from Brisbane and Tim Biggs also joined by video link from Australia.
Chambers warned it would be a ‘‘very complicated trial’’ involving the division of property.
The court heard the couple started living together in Sydney in 2010, when Sophie Biggs was a stockbroker and Tim Biggs was a trader. They moved to Noosa and married there in 2011.
They had a child but separated in 2014 before reconciling, Chambers said. The couple moved to Otago but then separated again.
Chambers said a witness would testify that the couple did try resolving differences without being adversarial.
The civil proceeding at the High Court is expected to last three weeks.