Aleta Gooley & Anor v Brett Gooley [2021] NSWSC 56

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Aleta Gooley & Anor v Brett Gooley [2021] NSWSC 56 Hearing dates: 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 November 2019 18 December 2019 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31 August 2020 1, 2, 3, 4, 23 September 2020, 3 November 2020 (dir) Further documents received from the plaintiffs/cross defendants on 28 September 2020 Further submissions received from the defendant/cross claimant on 14 October 2020, and further submissions received from the plaintiffs/cross defendants on 21 October 2020 Decision date: 12 February 2021 Jurisdiction: Equity - Expedition List Before: Sackar J Decision: See para [1180] Catchwords: SUCCESSION – Contested probate – Testamentary capacity – Application of the test in Banks v Goodfellow – Where numerous wills made over two year period – Where wills rational on their face – Where deceased suffered stroke, vascular dementia and other medical illnesses known to affect executive function – Whether deceased was able to comprehend and weigh claims of potential beneficiaries – Whether impairments suffered continuously or episodically Cases Cited: Banks v Goodfellow (1870) LR 5 QB 549 Barry v Butlin (1838) 2 Moo PC 480; 12 ER 1089 Boreham v Prince Henry Hospital (1955) 29 ALJR 179 Carr v Homersham (2018) 97 NSWLR 328 Coates v Wattson; Estate of Sullivan [2013] NSWSC 604 Croft v Sanders [2019] NSWCA 303 Dasreef Pty Ltd v Hawchar (2011) 243 CLR 588 Dellios v Dellios [2012] NSWSC 868 Drivas v Jakopovic (2019) 100 NSWLR 505 Estate Beeby, Re: Beeby v Eggers [2015] NSWSC 1466 Gray v Hart [2012] NSWSC 1435 Kerr v Badran [2004] NSWSC 735 Loupos v Demirgelis [2008] NSWSC 1207 Makita (Australia) Pty Ltd v Sprowles (2001) 52 NSWLR 705 Mekhail v Hana [2019] NSWCA 197 Nicholson v Knaggs [2009] VSC 64 Norris v Tuppen [1999] VSC 228 Pate v Craig & Anor; The Estate of Cole (NSWSC, 28 August 1995, unreported, Santow J) Petrovski v Nasev; The Estate of Janakievska [2011] NSWSC 1275 Phillips v Phillips [2017] NSWSC 280 Re Crooks Estate (Supreme Court of New South Wales, unreported, 14 December 1994) Re Estate of Griffith; Easter v Griffith (1995) 217 ALR 284 Re Estate Stojic [2017] NSWSC 168 Re Estates Croft, deceased [2018] NSWSC 1303 Re Fenwick; Application of J R Fenwick; Re 'Charles' (2009) 76 NSWLR 22 Revie v Druitt [2005] NSWSC 902 Ric Developments Pty Ltd (t/as Lane Cove Poolmart) v Muir (2008) 71 NSWLR 593 Rowe v Sudholz [2019] QSC 306 Ryan v Dalton; Estate of Ryan [2017] NSWSC 1007 Tobin v Ezekiel (2012) 83 NSWLR 757 Zorbas v Sidiropoulos (Estate of Kriezes) (No 2) [2009] NSWCA 197 Texts Cited: Martyn Frost, A Victorian Tragedy: The Extraordinary Case of Banks v Goodfellow (Wildy, Simmonds & Hill Publishing, 2018) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Aleta Joy Gooley (first plaintiff) Melinda Louise Foley (second plaintiff) Brett Raymond Gooley (defendant) Representation: Counsel: C Harris SC (2019), E G Romaniuk SC and D-L Del Monte (2020) (plaintiffs) J P Knackstredt, T Jonker (defendant)