Robertson v Barker [2021] NSWSC 1682

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Robertson v Barker [2021] NSWSC 1682 Hearing dates: 23-25 and 30 November 2021 and 1 December 2021 Date of orders: 21 December 2021 Decision date: 21 December 2021 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Hallen J Decision: The Court orders that:

(a) Probate in solemn form of the Will made on 29 October 2016 of Mabel Claire Hogan be granted to the Plaintiff.

(b) The matter be remitted to the Senior Deputy Registrar in Probate to complete the grant.

(c) The Cross-Claim filed on 5 May 2020 be dismissed.

(d) If the parties are unable to agree on how costs should be borne, the matter is adjourned for directions to 2:00 p.m. on 10 February 2022 or such other date as arranged by the parties and Court.

(e) The Exhibits, with the exception of each original Will, should be dealt with in accordance with the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules and the Court Books may be returned. Catchwords: SUCCESSION — Contested probate – Elderly will-maker - Validity of Wills - The Plaintiff is the executor named in the duly executed Will of the deceased made on 29 October 2016 – Last Will of the deceased in time – Alleged lack of testamentary capacity, lack of knowledge and approval, and suspicious circumstances alleged by the Defendants at the time the deceased made the 2016 Will - Whether onus on the Plaintiff, as propounder of the 2016 Will, has been discharged - Agreement of the parties that if the 2016 Will is not the subject of a grant, Probate in solemn form of a Will made by the deceased on 3 May 2013, the penultimate Will, should be made. Legislation Cited: Births Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1995 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Powers of Attorney Act 2003 (NSW) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Supreme Court Rules 1970 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Armagas Ltd v Mundogas S.A. (The Ocean Frost) [1985] 1 Lloyd's Rep 1 Attwell v Morgan [2019] WASC 182 Azzopardi v Smart (The Estate of Alice Ann Smart) (1992) 27 NSWLR 232 Banks v Goodfellow (1870) LR 5 QB 549 Barry v Butlin (1838) 2 Moo PC 480 Beatson v Perry (1906) 6 SR (NSW) 167 Boughton v Knight (1873) LR 3 P&D 64 Boyce v Bunce [2015] NSWSC 1924 Bridges v Pelly [2001] NSWCA 31 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336; [1938] HCA 34 Brown v McEnroe (1890) 11 NSWR Eq 134 Brown v Wade [2010] WASC 367 Bull v Fulton (1942) 66 CLR 295; [1942] HCA 13 Camden v McKenzie [2007] QCA 136 Carr v Homersham [2018] NSWCA 65 Chiu Man Fu v Chiu Chung Kwan Ying [2012] HKCFI 82 Choy Po Chun v Au Wing Lun [2018] HKCA 403 Craig-Bridges v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2017] NSWCA 197 Croft v Sanders [2019] NSWCA 303 D'Apice v Gutkovich; Estate of Abraham (No 2) [2010] NSWSC 1333 Day v Couch [2000] NSWSC 230 Den v Vancleve (1819) 2 Southard 589 Dickman v Holley; Estate of Simpson [2013] NSWSC 18 Drivas v Jakopovic (2019) 100 NSWLR 505; [2019] NSWCA 218 Evans v Braddock [2015] NSWSC 249 Eyota Pty Ltd v Hanave Pty Ltd (1994) 12 ACSR 785 Friesen and Holmberg v Friesen Estate (1985) 33 Man R (2d) 98 Frizzo v Frizzo [2011] QCA 308 Fuller v Strum [2002] 1 WLR 1097; [2001] EWCA Civ 1879 Guthrie v Spence (2009) 78 NSWLR 225; [2009] NSWCA 369 Harrison v Rowan (1820) 3 Washington 585 Hawes v Burgess [2013] WTLR 453; [2013] EWCA Civ 74 Ho v Powell (2001) 51 NSWLR 572; [2001] NSWCA 168 Hoff v Atherton [2005] WTLR 99; [2004] EWCA Civ 1554 Hughes v St Barbara Mines Ltd [No 4] [2010] WASC 160 In re R (dec'd) [1950] 2 All ER 117 In the matter of Kit Digital Australia Pty Ltd (in liq) [2014] NSWSC 1547 In The Will of Wilson (1897) 23 VLR 197; [1898] VicLawRp 39 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298; [1959] HCA 8 Katsilis v Broken Hill Pty Co Limited (1977) 18 ALR 181 Kerr v Badran; Estate of Badran [2004] NSWSC 735 King v Hudson [2009] NSWSC 1013 Kogan v Martin [2019] EWCA Civ 1645 Kuhl v Zurich Financial Services Australia Ltd (2011) 243 CLR 361; [2011] HCA 11 Kyros v Stavrakis [2009] NSWSC 163 Lewis v Lewis [2021] NSWCA 168 Longman v R (1989) 168 CLR 79; [1989] HCA 60 Loosley v Powell [2018] 2 NZLR 618; [2018] NZCA 3 Lynch v Cadwallader & Anor [2021] EWHC 328 (Ch) Manning v Hughes; Estate of Ludewig [2010] NSWSC 226 McNamara v Nagel [2017] NSWSC 91 Mekhail v Hana; Mekail v Hana [2019] NSWCA 197 Musa v Alzreaiawi [2021] NSWCA 12 Nicholson v Knaggs [2009] VSC 64 Nock v Austin (1918) 25 CLR 519; [1918] HCA 73 Norris v Tuppen [1999] VSC 228 Parton v Johnson (1868) LR 1 P and D 549 Payne v Parker [1976] 1 NSWLR 191 Permanent Trustee Co Ltd v McDermid (Supreme Court (NSW), 25 September 1991, unrep)) Perrins v Holland [2009] EWHC 1945 Petrovski v Nasev; The Estate of Janakievska [2011] NSWSC 1275 Plunkett v Bull (1915) 19 CLR 544; [1915] HCA 14 Re Estate of Yip Keung, HCAP 15/2004, unrep, 9 December 2017 Re Griffith; Easter v Griffith (1995) 217 ALR 284 Re Hodgson (1885) 31 Ch D 177 Revie v Druitt [2005] NSWSC 902 Rowe v Sudholz [2019] QSC 306 Ruskey-Fleming v Cook [2013] QSC 142 Saravinovska v Saravinovski (No 6) [2016] NSWSC 964 Sharp v Adam [2006] WTLR 1059; [2006] EWCA Civ 449 Simon v Byford [2014] WTLR 1097; [2014] EWCA Civ 280 Smith v Tebbitt (No.2) (1867) L.R. 1 P&D 398 Starr v Miller; Starr v Miller [2021] NSWSC 426 State of New South Wales v Hunt [2014] NSWCA 47 Stevens v Vancleve (1822) 4 Washington 267 Timbury v Coffee (1941) 66 CLR 277; [1941] HCA 22 Tobin v Ezekiel (2012) 83 NSWLR 757; [2012] NSWCA 285 Transport Industries Insurance Co Ltd v Longmuir [1997] 1 VR 125 Tu v Tu; Estate of Tu [2008] NSWSC 458 Veall v Veall (2015) 46 VR 123; [2015] VSCA 60 Vernon v Watson; Estate Clarice Isabel Quigley dec'd [2002] NSWSC 600 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 Waters v Waters (1848) 2 De G & Sm 591; 64 ER 263 Webb v Ryan [2012] VSC 377 Weeks v Hrubala [2008] NSWSC 162 Weiss v Weiss; Estate of Anita Hildegard Weiss [2020] NSWSC 1064 Wesley v Wesley (1998) 71 SASR 1 Wintle v Nye [1959] 1 WLR 284 Worth v Clasohm (1952) 86 CLR 439; [1952] HCA 67 Zorbas v Sidiropoulous (No 2) [2009] NSWCA 197 Texts Cited: G L Certoma, The Law of Succession in New South Wales (4th ed, 2010, Lawbook Co) J. Hardingham, M. A. Neave and H. A. J. Ford, Wills and Intestacy (2nd ed, 1989, Law Book Co) Jarman on Wills, 8th ed (1951) London, Sweet and Maxwell, Vol. 3 John Ross Martyn and Nicholas Caddick QC (eds), Williams, Mortimer and Sunnucks — Executors, Administrators and Probate (21st ed, 2018, Sweet & Maxwell) P McClellan "Who Is Telling the Truth? Psychology, Common Sense and the Law" (2006) 80 ALJ 655 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Janette Ruth Robertson (Plaintiff) Penelope Jane Barker (first Defendant) Andrew John Barker (second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr C Birtles (Plaintiff) Mr G Waugh SC with Mr H Morrison (Defendants)