A court has found Rosanne Barbara Zarb, widow of notary Ivan Barbara, liable for part of an unpaid client deposit handled by her late husband.According to a report by Times of Malta, the court ordered Barbara Zarb and the notary’s estate to repay €15,000 to a client who had paid the sum as a deposit for a property contract. The ruling requires Barbara Zarb to pay €7,500, with the remaining amount to be covered by the estate.Barbara died in 2021 after contracting COVID-19 while abroad. Following his death, multiple clients filed claims to recover funds linked to property transactions.Through her lawyers, Barbara Zarb argued she was not responsible for the debt, having renounced her husband’s inheritance.She also cited evidence of his gambling habits in an attempt to show the funds were misappropriated.However, the court, presided by Magistrate Victor G. Axiak, ruled that under Maltese law, professional debts can burden joint marital assets.The case is one of several claims filed by clients seeking to recover deposits paid to the late notary.What do you think of this ruling?•