A judge has admonished Clive Palmer over another delay in the Queensland Nickel (QN) trial, this time because his expert witness is in Brazil.

Key points: Justice Debra Mullins has stood the trial down next Monday

Justice Debra Mullins has stood the trial down next Monday Justice Mullins has already shifted the appearance of accounting witnesses to the end of the trial to give Mr Palmer more time

Justice Mullins has already shifted the appearance of accounting witnesses to the end of the trial to give Mr Palmer more time Mr Palmer has sought to adjourn the proceedings until his insolvency expert returned to Australia

Justice Debra Mullins has also suggested the billionaire was "misleading" the court by claiming to be representing himself, saying he appeared to be getting help from lawyers.

Mr Palmer, who is fighting a Supreme Court bid by liquidators to claw back $200 million over the failure of QN, sought to adjourn proceedings until next week.

Mr Palmer said he would speak with his insolvency expert — Bryan Hughes from Pitcher Partners — on Monday or Tuesday of next week when he returned to Australia.

Mr Palmer, and lawyers for his companies, tried in vain to postpone the nine-week trial last week because their previous expert had fallen ill.

His latest request for a delay raised the ire of Justice Mullins, who had previously lectured him about failing to turn up to the trial and wasting the court's time.

"One of the things I'm disappointed about, Mr Palmer, is the defendants don't seem to have got Mr Hughes' firm to act with urgency," she said.

"I mean, you're in the middle of a trial and been given leave to get another expert. It means that somehow the expert's got to be shown that he can't have a leisurely approach to this. He and his team have got to act urgently."

Mr Palmer said he agreed and given "the amount of money we're paying him, we expect a quick response".

But the expert's availability from next week was the best they could find after other major accounting firms declined to be involved, he said.

"Can I suggest that it might be a good idea to adjourn this application until such time as we meet with Mr Hughes [the expert witness] on Monday or Tuesday if that's possible so we can really give the court some real feedback, right, because I think it would be helpful for the carriage of the matter if we have the real facts," he said.

Justice Mullins, had already shifted the appearance of accounting witnesses to the end of the trial to give Mr Palmer more time to secure his expert, but stood the trial down next Monday to allow Mr Palmer and his team to brief Mr Hughes.

Mr Palmer said that "if anything happens on Monday, I might seek some leave for the court to be absent" to allow further preparation of the expert.

'It's a little misleading'

The judge at one point reminded Mr Palmer that "actually when I speak to you, you should stand".

She also said that when reading Mr Palmer's submissions in the case "relying on your status as a self-represented litigant ... I have to say they appear to have the hand of a lawyer".

Justice Mullins asked him to mark documents with the name of the lawyer assisting him, "otherwise it's a little misleading to emphasise your self-represented status when it appears you have the assistance of a lawyer".

"It won't take anybody by surprise that when I read Mr Palmer's submissions, I can't help but think there is a lawyer assisting him," she said.

The nine-week trial continues.