Lawyers for the elusive Clive Mensink should try asking his new girlfriend, or his uncle Clive Palmer, where in the world he might be, a Federal Court judge has suggested.

Clive Mensink, who's been overseas since June last year, has been ordered to face the court on March 27, to be questioned over the collapse of his uncle's nickel business.

Clive Mensink has so far failed to comply with two court summonses to return to Australia, to be asked about the collapse of Queensland Nickel.

The lawyers told the court they are not aware if anyone had tried calling Mr Palmer or Mr Mensink's post-divorce love interest about his whereabouts, to which Justice John Dowsett replied: "There are two obvious lines of inquiry, I would have thought."

Lawyers for Mr Palmer's globe-trotting nephew have asked the Federal Court to set aside orders requiring him to return to Australia to be grilled about the collapse of Queensland Nickel.