Limberger v Limberger; Oakman v Limberger [2021] NSWSC 474

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Limberger v Limberger; Oakman v Limberger [2021] NSWSC 474 Hearing dates: 8-11 March 2021 Date of orders: 6 May 2021 Decision date: 06 May 2021 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Hallen J Decision: Directs the parties, within 10 days, to provide in hard and soft copy, Short Minutes of Order that reflect these reasons Catchwords: SUCCESSION – Family Provision – Claims by two adult children of the deceased for provision under Ch 3 of the Succession Act – No dispute as to eligibility under s 57(1)(c) of the Act – No provision made for adult son of the deceased and limited provision made for the adult daughter of the deceased – Reasons for the lack of, and for the limited, provision made for each Plaintiff stated in the Will of the deceased – Periods of lack of close contact between adult daughter and the deceased, and in the case of the adult son, complete estrangement for about 30 years – Reconciliation before death of the deceased - Significant competing claim of the Defendant, who is entitled to 50 per cent of the deceased's estate – Balance of estate left to other son who predeceased the deceased, which share passes to grandchildren of the deceased – Whether each Plaintiff has been left without adequate provision for his, and her, proper maintenance and advancement in life – Whether an order for provision should be made for each Plaintiff's proper maintenance and advancement in life and, if so, in what amount – Provision to be made for each Plaintiff and, in the case of the adult daughter, that provision in lieu of the provision made for her in the deceased's Will Legislation Cited: Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Legal Profession Uniform Conduct (Barristers) Rules 2015 (NSW) Cases Cited: Alexander v Jansson (2010) 6 ASTLR 432; [2010] NSWCA 176 Anasson v Phillips (Supreme Court (NSW), Young J, 4 March 1988, unrep) Andrew v Andrew (2012) 81 NSWLR 656; [2012] NSWCA 308 Bartlett v Coomber [2008] NSWCA 100 Bindoff v The Trust Company (Australia) Ltd; Estate of the late Everitt Joseph Griffiths [2016] NSWSC 1100 Bkassini v Sarkis [2017] NSWSC 1487 Boettcher v Driscoll (2014) 119 SASR 523; [2014] SASC 86 Bondelmonte v Blanckensee [1989] WAR 305 Borebor v Keane (2013) 11 ASTLR 96; [2013] VSC 35 Bowditch v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2012] NSWSC 275 Bowyer v Wood (2007) 99 SASR 190; [2007] SASC 327 Burke v Burke (No 2) [2015] NSWCA 195 Camden v McKenzie [2007] QCA 136 Carey v Robson (No 2) [2009] NSWSC 1199 Chan v Chan (2016) 15 ASTLR 317 Chapple v Wilcox (2014) 87 NSWLR 646; [2014] NSWCA 392 Christie v Manera [2006] WASC 287 Crossman v Riedel [2004] ACTSC 127 de Angelis v de Angelis [2003] VSC 432 Devereaux-Warnes v Hall (No 3) (2007) 35 WAR 127; [2007] WASCA 235 Diver v Neal (2009) 2 ASTLR 89; [2009] NSWCA 54 Evans v Braddock [2015] NSWSC 249 Foley v Ellis [2008] NSWCA 288 Forsyth v Sinclair (No 2) (2010) 28 VR 635; [2010] VSCA 195 Giannarelli v Wraith (1988) 165 CLR 543; [1988] HCA 52 Goodman v Windeyer (1980) 144 CLR 490; [1980] HCA 31 Goodsell v Wellington [2011] NSWSC 1232 Gorton v Parks (1989) 17 NSWLR 1 Grey v Harrison [1997] 2 VR 359 Harkness v Harkness (No 2) [2012] NSWSC 35 Hawkins v Prestage (1989) 1 WAR 37 Heyward v Fisher (Court of Appeal (NSW), Kirby P, 26 April 1985, unrep) Hobson v R [1998] 1 Cr.App.R 32 Hughes v National Trustees, Executors and Agency Co of Australasia Ltd (1979) 143 CLR 134; [1979] HCA 2 Hughes v St Barbara Mines Ltd (No 4) [2010] WASC 160 Hunter v Hunter (1987) 8 NSWLR 573 In re Green, deceased; Zukerman v Public Trustee [1951] NZLR 135 Jodell v Woods [2017] NSWSC 143 Johnson v Johnson (2000) 201 CLR 488; [2000] HCA 48 Kleinig v Neal (No 2) [1981] 2 NSWLR 532 Kogan v Martin [2019] EWCA Civ 1645 Kohari v Snow [2013] NSWSC 452 Liprini v Liprini [2008] NSWSC 423 Lumb v McMillan [2007] NSWSC 386 Lynch v Cadwallader [2021] EWHC 328 (Ch) MacGregor v MacGregor [2003] WASC 169 Marks v Marks [2003] WASCA 297 McCann v Ward & Burgess [2012] VSC 63 McCosker v McCosker (1957) 97 CLR 566; [1957] HCA 82 McGrath v Eves [2005] NSWSC 1006 McKenzie v Topp [2004] VSC 90 McLaughlin v Dungowan Manly Pty Ltd (No 3) [2011] NSWSC 717 Meres v Meres [2017] NSWSC 285 Olsen v Olsen & Ors [2019] NSWCA 278 Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith v Scales (1962) 107 CLR 9; [1962] HCA 19 R (on the application of M) v Slough Borough Council [2008] 1 WLR 1808; [2008] UKHL 52 Rawson v Studholme [2018] NSWSC 1764 Re Buckland (dec'd) [1966] VR 404 Rondel v Worsley [1969] 1 AC 191 Salmon v Osmond (2015) 14 ASTLR 442; [2015] NSWCA 42 Sam Wardy v Gordon Salier; William Wardy v Gordon Salier; Hassiba Wardy v Estate of late Edmond Wadih Wardy developer and Ch 3 of the Succession Act 2006 [2014] NSWSC 473 Sangha v Baxter [2009] NSWCA 78 Sarant v Sarant [2020] NSWSC 1686 Saravinovska v Saravinovski (No 6) [2016] NSWSC 964 Sgro v Thompson [2017] NSWCA 326 Singer v Berghouse (1994) 181 CLR 201; [1994] HCA 40 Slack v Rogan; Palffy v Rogan (2013) 85 NSWLR 253; [2013] NSWSC 522 Slack-Smith v Slack-Smith [2010] NSWSC 625 Smith v Johnson (2015) 14 ASTLR 175; [2015] NSWCA 297 State of New South Wales v Hunt (2014) 86 NSWLR 226; [2014] NSWCA 47 Steinmetz v Shannon (2019) 99 NSWLR 687; [2019] NSWCA 114 Stern v Sekers; Sekers v Sekers [2010] NSWSC 59 Stott v Cook (1960) 33 ALJR 447 Sung v Malaxos [2015] NSWSC 186 Taylor v Farrugia [2009] NSWSC 801 Tchadovitch v Tchadovitch (2010) 79 NSWLR 491; [2010] NSWCA 316 Thomas v SMP (International) Pty Ltd [2010] NSWSC 822 Verzar v Verzar [2012] NSWSC 1380 Vigolo v Bostin (2005) 221 CLR 191; [2005] HCA 11 Walker v Walker (Supreme Court (NSW), Young J, 17 May 1996, unrep) Warner v Hung, in the matter of Bellpac Pty Ltd (Receivers and Managers Appointed) (In Liquidation) (No 2) (2011) 297 ALR 56; [2011] FCA 1123 Webb v Ryan [2012] VSC 377 White v Barron (1980) 144 CLR 431; [1980] HCA 14 Yee v Yee [2017] NSWCA 305 Texts Cited: Rosalind Atherton, "The Concept of Moral Duty in the Law of Family Provision – A Gloss or Critical Understanding?" (1999) 5(1) Australian Journal of Legal History 5 Category: Principal judgment Parties: 2019/17122 – Joseph Victor Limberger v Steven George Limberger Joseph Victor Limberger (Plaintiff) Steven George Limberger (Defendant)