A HUSBAND who failed to comply with court orders that he transfer more than $100,000 held in a superannuation account to his wife as part of a property fight has been jailed for contempt under the Family Law Act.

Federal magistrate Joe Harman said he was ''regrettably, and in the most unfortunate circumstances of this case'' forced to impose a nine-month jail term on the man who had spent the money, in large part, on prostitutes and gambling.

It is believed the man, who was ordered to give himself up last week, is now serving time in a NSW jail. A spokesman for the court said no appeal papers had been lodged.

Referring to the property fight, which began in 2007, the magistrate said in his judgment: ''The matter is tinged with some particular sadness and tragedy in that these parties had been married and in a relationship together for something in the order of 24 years and at this point would appear, financially, to have lost everything.''

Known by the pseudonym of Mr Weirs, the jailed man is 56. His wife, who sought the contempt order under a rarely invoked provision of the Family Law Act, is 51. The marriage had resulted in three children, now adults, the youngest 18.