Micallef v Linney - Estate of Hope Marie Linney [2020] NSWSC 898

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Micallef v Linney - Estate of Hope Marie Linney [2020] NSWSC 898 Hearing dates: 5, 6, 7, 11 February; 6 April 2020 (Submissions) Date of orders: 16 July 2020 Decision date: 16 July 2020 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Emmett AJA Decision: 1. Direct the First Defendant/Cross-claimant to file and serve within 7 days short minutes of proposed orders to give effect to these conclusions. 2. Direct the Plaintiff/Cross-defendant to file and serve within 7 days thereafter a written note of any objection to the short minutes. Catchwords: SUCCESSION — Contested probate — Lack of knowledge and approval — Suspicious circumstances — Adult daughter's share in estate of mother reduced by duly executed codicil — Whether testatrix comprehended effect of codicil SUCCESSION — Contested probate — Undue influence — Whether matters pleaded amounted to coercive undue influence — Whether mind of testatrix overborne by conduct of beneficiaries Cases Cited: Atter v Atkinson (1869) LR 1 P & D 665 Barry v Butlin (1838) 2 Moo PC 480; 12 ER 1089 Boyce v Bunce [2015] NSWSC 1924 Cleare v Cleare (1869) LR 1 P & D 655 DJ Singh v DH Singh [2018] NSWCA 30 Easter v Griffiths (Court of Appeal (NSW), 7 June 1995, unrep) Estate Reid; Roberts v Moses and Palmer [2018] NSWSC 1145 Fairweather v Fairweather (1944) 69 CLR 121; [1944] HCA 11 Kerr v Bardan [2004] NSWSC 735 Mekhail v Hana [2019] NSWCA 197 Nock v Austin (1918) 25 CLR 519; [1918] HCA 73 Tobin v Ezekiel (2012) 83 NSWLR 757; [2012] NSWCA 285 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Maureen Micallef (Plaintiff/Cross-defendant) Gayle Maria Linney (First Defendant/Cross-claimant) Denis Joseph Linney (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: T Catanzariti (Plaintiff/Cross-defendant) J E F Brown with P A Muscat (First Defendant/Cross-claimant and Second Defendant)