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Phillips v Phillips

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Phillips v Phillips
CourtCourt of Appeal of New Zealand
Full case name Phillips v Phillips
Decided23 February 1993
Citation[1993] 3 NZLR 159; (1993) 10 FRNZ 110
Court membership
Judges sittingCooke P, Casey, Gault, McKay JJ

Phillips v Phillips [1993] 3 NZLR 159; (1993) 10 FRNZ 110 is a cited court case in New Zealand, where both parties entering into a contract make the same mistake (often referred to as a common mistake) when a contract is formed, under section 6(1)(a)(ii) of the Contractual Mistakes Act 1977. [1]

Background

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Mrs Phillips was in a de facto relation with Mr Phillips for 12 years. They had four children together, and she had worked at several of her husbands businesses. At the breakdown of the relationship, they entered into a separation agreement, which gave Mrs Phillips far less than she was legally entitled to.

However, it was later discovered that such a separation agreement was not legally enforceable, and Mrs Phillips applied to the court to have the separation order set aside under section 6(1)(a)(ii) on the grounds that it was a common mistake, as both parties mistakenly thought that the separation agreement was legally enforceable.

Held

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The court ruled that there was a common mistake here, and set aside (cancelled) the previous separation order.

References

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  1. ^ Chetwin, Maree; Graw, Stephen; Tiong, Raymond (2006). An introduction to the Law of Contract in New Zealand (4th ed.). Thomson Brookers. p. [page needed]. ISBN 0-86472-555-8.