Lim v Lim [2022] NSWSC 454

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Lim v Lim [2022] NSWSC 454 Hearing dates: 8-10 February 2022 Date of orders: 14 April 2022 Decision date: 14 April 2022 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Hallen J Decision: See Paragraph [463] Catchwords: SUCCESSION — Contested probate – Elderly will-maker – Validity of last Will of the deceased – The Plaintiff, a son of the deceased and a major beneficiary named in a number of earlier duly executed Wills of the deceased, propounds penultimate Will made in 2011 – Last Will of the deceased made in 2019 leaves estate to be shared equally between four of the five children of the deceased – Grant of Probate in common form of the 2019 Will sought to be revoked sought by Plaintiff – Alleged lack of testamentary capacity, lack of knowledge and approval, and suspicious circumstances, alleged by the Plaintiff at the time the deceased made the 2019 Will – Whether the Defendant/Cross-Claimant, as the propounder of the 2019 Will, has established testamentary capacity and knowledge and approval and removed residual doubts – No dispute about validity of the 2011 Will by the deceased – Agreement of the parties that if the grant of Probate of the 2019 Will is revoked, Probate in solemn form of the 2011 Will, should be granted. Parties able to agree on how costs of the proceedings should be borne whatever the result of the proceedings Legislation Cited: Births Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1995 (NSW), s 49(2) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 140(2) Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW), ss 33, 66 Succession Act 2006 (NSW), s 6 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 31.18, 14.4 Cases Cited: Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Hellicar (2012) 247 CLR 345; [2012] HCA 17 Bailey v Bailey (1924) 34 CLR 558; [1924] HCA 21 Banks v Goodfellow (1870) LR 5 QB 549 Bates v Messner (1967) 67 SR (NSW) 187 BCI Finances Pty Ltd (In Liq) v Binetter (2018) 362 ALR 597; [2018] FCAFC 189 BCI Finances Pty Ltd (In Liq) v Binetter (No 4) (2016) 348 ALR 227; [2016] FCA 1351 Blendell v Byrne; the Estate of Noeline Joan Blendell [2019] NSWSC 583 Bool v Bool [1941] St R Qd 26 Bramston v Morris; Estate of Murray; Estate of Sini Sophia Murray (aka Sini Sophia Vecht) (Supreme Court (NSW), Powell J, 20 August 1993, unrep) Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336; [1938] HCA 34 Brown v Wade [2010] WASC 367 Bull v Fulton (1942) 66 CLR 295; [1942] HCA 13 Carr v Homersham (2018) 97 NSWLR 328; [2018] NSWCA 65 Chant v Curcuruto; Chant v Curcuruto [2021] NSWSC 751 Chisak v Presot [2021] NSWSC 597 Chiu Man Fu v Chiu Chung Kwan Ying [2012] HKCFI 82 Choy Po Chun v Au Wing Lun [2018] HKCA 403 Croft v Sanders [2019] NSWCA 303 Dickman v Holley; Estate of Simpson [2013] NSWSC 18 Estate Cockell; Cole v Paisley [2016] NSWSC 349 Estate Kouvakas; Lucas v Konakas [2014] NSWSC 786 Estate of George Aeneas McDonald; Howard v The Sydney Children's Hospital Network (Randwick & Westmead) [2015] NSWSC 1610 Estate Rofe [2021] NSWSC 257 Friesen and Holmberg v Friesen Estate (1985) 33 Man R (2d) 98 Frizzo v Frizzo [2011] QCA 308 Gaio v R (1960) 104 CLR 419; [1960] HCA 70 Gill v Woodall [2011] Ch 380; [2010] EWCA Civ 1430 Gradidge v Grace Bros Pty Ltd (1988) 93 FLR 414 Hawes v Burgess [2013] WTLR 453; [2013] EWCA Civ 74 Hoff v Atherton [2005] WTLR 99; [2004] EWCA Civ 1554 Hughes v Pritchard [2022] EWCA Civ 386 In re Berger, dec'd [1990] Ch 118 In re Groffman, decd [1969] 1 WLR 733 In re Munn [1943] SASR 304 In re R (dec'd) [1950] 2 All ER 117 In the matter of Mediation & Online Dispute Resolution Operating Network Pty Ltd [2022] NSWSC 5 In the Will of England (1900) 22 ALT 86 Jolley v Jarvis [1964] P 262 at 272; [1964] 1 All ER 596 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298; [1959] HCA 8 Key v Key [2010] WLR 2020; [2010] EWHC 408 King v Hudson [2009] NSWSC 1013 Kuhl v Liebcheschel [1933] SASR 394 Kuhl v Zurich Financial Services Australia Ltd (2011) 243 CLR 361; [2011] HCA 11 Lewis v Lewis [2021] NSWCA 168 Loosley v Powell [2018] 2 NZLR 618; [2018] NZCA 3 Manning v Hughes; Estate of Ludewig [2010] NSWSC 226 Mavrideros v Mack (1998) 45 NSWLR 80; [1998] NSWCA 286 McNamara v Nagel [2017] NSWSC 91 Mekhail v Hana; Mekail v Hana [2019] NSWCA 197 Neilson v Public Trustee; The Estate of Ellen Letitia Neilson (Supreme Court (NSW), Powell J, 8 May 1992, unrep) Ng v Lau; In the Estate of Ken Kui Yuen Lau [2020] NSWSC 713 Nicholson v Knaggs [2009] VSC 64 Nock v Austin (1918) 25 CLR 51; [1918] HCA 73 Oakes v Uzzell [1932] P 19 Paraskov v Paraskos [2002] WASC 109 Parton v Johnson (1868) LR 1 PD 549 Payne v Parker [1976] 1 NSWLR 191 Perera v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (1999) 92 FCR 6; [1999] FCA 507 Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd v Baker [1999] NSWCA 244 Perrins v Holland [2009] EWHC 1945 Petrovski v Nasev; The Estate of Janakievska [2011] NSWSC 1275 Re Griffith; Easter v Griffith (1995) 217 ALR 284 Re Levy [1953] VLR 652 Richardson v Rearden [2006] NSWSC 1252 Ridges v Watson (Supreme Court (NSW), Powell J, 1 May 1992, unrep) Robertson v Barker [2021] NSWSC 1682 Romascu v Manolache [2011] NSWSC 1362 Rowe v Sudholz [2019] QSC 306 Ruskey-Fleming v Cook [2013] QSC 142 Scarpuzza v Scarpuzza (2011) 4 ASTLR 244; [2011] WASC 65 Sharp v Adam [2006] WTLR 1059; [2006] EWCA Civ 449 Simon v Byford [2014] WTLR 1097; [2014] EWCA Civ 280 Stanley v Stanley [2000] NSWSC 1133 Starr v Miller [2022] NSWCA 46 Starr v Miller; Starr v Miller [2021] NSWSC 426 Tobin v Ezekiel (2012) 83 NSWLR 757; [2012] NSWCA 285 Trustee for the Salvation Army (NSW) Property Trust & Anor v Becker (2007) 14 BPR 26,867; [2007] NSWCA 136 Tsagouris v Bellairs [2010] SASC 147 Veall v Veall (2015) 46 VR 123; [2015] VSCA 60 Weiss v Weiss; Estate of Anita Hildegard Weiss [2020] NSWSC 1064 Wharton v Bancroft [2011] EWHC 3250 (Ch) Zorbas v Sidiropoulous (No. 2) [2009] NSWCA 197 Texts Cited: A Learmonth, C Ford, J Clark and J Ross Martyn (eds), Williams, Mortimer and Sunnucks on Executors, Administrators and Probate (21st ed, 2018, Sweet & Maxwell) A Learmonth, J Clarke, K Shuman, C Ford and T Fletcher, Theobald on Wills (19th ed, 2021, London, Sweet and Maxwell) G L Certoma, The Law of Succession in New South Wales (4th ed, 2010, Lawbook Co) Guidelines for Solicitors Preparing an Enduring Power of Attorney (December 2003) I J Hardingham, M A Neave and H A J Ford, Wills and Intestacy in Australia and New Zealand (2nd ed, 1989, Law Book Co) Jarman on Wills (8th ed, 1951, London, Sweet and Maxwell) Judicial Council on Cultural Diversity, "Recommended National Standards for Working with Interpreters in Courts and Tribunals" (2017) K Laster and V Taylor, Interpreters & the Legal System (1994, The Federation Press) M Barnett, "Mind Your Language - Interpreters in Australian Immigration Proceedings " (2006) 10(1) University of Western Sydney Law Review 109 New South Wales Law Society "When a client's capacity is in doubt: A Practical Guide for Solicitors" (2016) New South Wales Law Society's Client Capacity Guidelines: Civil and Family Law Matters (2003) O Wood and G L Certoma, Hutley, Woodman & Wood: Succession: Commentary and Materials (4th ed, 1990, Law Book Co) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Tong Boon Lim (Plaintiff) Sony Tong Yew Lim (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: D C Price (Plaintiff) D M Flaherty (Defendant)