Chisak v Presot [2021] NSWSC 597

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Chisak v Presot [2021] NSWSC 597 Hearing dates: 23 – 25 March 2021 and 30 March 2021 Date of orders: 27 May 2021 Decision date: 27 May 2021 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Hallen J Decision: The Court: (1) Orders that the amended Statement of Claim filed by the Plaintiff on 11 December 2019 be dismissed. (2) Orders that probate in solemn form of the Will dated 26 April 2017 be granted to the Defendants. (3) Orders that the matter be remitted to the Senior Deputy Registrar in Probate to attach a copy of the final orders, as made and entered, to the original grant of Probate and, thereafter, to return that original to the Defendants. (4) Stands over the proceedings to 9:00 a.m. on 10 June 2021 for the determination of costs. Catchwords: SUCCESSION — Contested probate – Alleged lack of testamentary capacity - Lack of knowledge and approval - Suspicious circumstances - Whether deceased knew and approved the contents of the 2017 Will - Whether onus on the propounders of the 2017 Will has been discharged SUCCESSION - FAMILY PROVISION - Alternative claim for family provision order under the Succession Act 2006 (NSW), Ch 3 by Plaintiff - Claim by adult grandchild of the deceased - Whether wholly or partly dependent upon deceased at any particular time - Whether factors warranting the making of the application - Lack of any contact with the Plaintiff for some years - Limited telephone contact but it stopped about 9 years before death of the deceased - Some provision made for Plaintiff in the Will - Whether adequate and proper provision not made in the Will of the deceased for the Plaintiff and, if not, the nature and quantum of the provision to be made for her - Claim for relief dismissed Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Cases Cited: Alexander v Jansson [2010] NSWCA 176 Amaca Pty Ltd v Novek [2009] NSWCA 50 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Hellicar (2012) 247 CLR 345; [2012] HCA 17 Bayssari v Bazouni [2014] NSWSC 910 Blendell v Byrne & Ors; the Estate of Noeline Joan Blendell [2019] NSWSC 583 Bowditch v NSW Trustee & Guardian [2012] NSWSC 275 Bracher v Jones [2020] NSWSC 1024 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Brown v Faggoter [1998] NSWCA 44 Carr v Homersham (2018) 97 NSWLR 328; [2018] NSWCA 65 Chapple v Wilcox (2014) 87 NSWLR 646; [2014] NSWCA 392 Churton v Christian (1988) 13 NSWLR 241 Coshott v Prentice (2014) 221 FCR 450; [2014] FCAFC 88 Croft v Sanders [2019] NSWCA 303 Diver v Neal [2009] NSWCA 54 Doulaveras v Daher (2009) 253 ALR 267; [2009] NSWCA 58 Evans v Levy [2011] NSWCA 125 Foley v Ellis [2008] NSWCA 288 Glynne v NSW Trustee and Guardian; Lindsay v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2011] NSWSC 535 Gorton v Parks (1989) 17 NSWLR 1 Gould v Gould [2005] NSWSC 914 Hawes v Burgess [2013] EWCA Civ 74 Ho v Powell (2001) 51 NSWLR 572; [2001] NSWCA 168 In the Estate of Muirhead, Deceased [1971] P 263 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Kleinig v Neal (No 2) [1981] 2 NSWLR 532 Kuhl v Zurich Financial Services Australia Ltd (2011) 243 CLR 361 Leahey & Trescowthick [1999] VSC 409 Lodin v Lodin [2017] NSWCA 327 MacEwan Shaw v Shaw (2003) 11 VR 95; [2003] VSC 318 Manly Council v Byrne [2004] NSWCA 123 Mayfield v Lloyd-Williams [2004] NSWSC 419 McKenzie v Baddeley [1991] NSWCA 197 Mekhail v Hana; Mekail v Hana [2019] NSWCA 197 Morley v ASIC [2010] NSWCA 331 Musa v Alzreaiawi [2021] NSWCA 12 Payne v Parker [1976] 1 NSWLR 191 Pearson v Jones (supra) and Simons v Permanent Trustee Co Ltd [2005] NSWSC 223 Petrohilos v Hunter (1991) 25 NSWLR 343 Poletti v Jones (2015) 13 ASTLR 113; [2015] NSWCA 107 Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith v Scales (1962) 107 CLR 9; [1962] HCA 19 Porthouse v Bridge [2007] NSWSC 686 Power v Smart [2018] WASC 168 Re Estate of Griffith (dec'd); Easter v Griffith (1995) 217 ALR 284 Re Estate of Hakim; Simons v Permanent Trustee Co Ltd [2005] NSWSC 223 Re Fulop Dec'd (1987) 8 NSWLR 679 Sammut v Kleemann [2012] NSWSC 1030 Sherborne Estate: Vanvalen & Anor v Neaves & Anor; Gilroy v Neaves & Anor [2005] NSWSC 593 Simonetto v Dick (2014) 10 ASTLR 231; [2014] NTCA 4 Singer v Berghouse (1993) 114 ALR 521; [1993] HCA 35 Skinner v Frappell [2008] NSWCA 296 Smart v Power [2019] WASCA 106 Spata v Tumino (2018) 95 NSWLR 706; [2018] NSWCA 17 Starr v Miller; Starr v Miller [2021] NSWSC 426 Tobin v Ezekiel (2012) 83 NSWLR 757; [2012] NSWCA 285 Tramantana v Harborne; Clarke v Harborne; Midson v Harborne [2011] NSWSC 1129 Tsivinsky v Tsivinsky [1991] NSWCA 269 Vigolo v Bostin (2005) 213 ALR 692; [2005] HCA 11 Wharton v Bancroft [2011] EWHC 3250 Yee v Yee [2017] NSWCA 305 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Ivy Hope Chisak (Plaintiff) Emanuela Presot (first Defendant) Adelina Presot (second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: M W Sneddon (Plaintiff) Dr J Lucy (Defendants)