Ballam & Ors v Ferro & Anor (No 2) [2022] NSWSC 1358

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Ballam & Ors v Ferro & Anor (No 2) [2022] NSWSC 1358 Hearing dates: 28 September 2022 Date of orders: 10 October 2022 Decision date: 10 October 2022 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Hallen J Decision: See [125] Catchwords: SUCCESSION – COSTS – Probate dispute (subject of Cross-Claim by Defendants) and family provision dispute (subject of the Plaintiffs' claim) – In addition, shortly prior to the hearing, Plaintiffs commenced separate proceedings – In allocation of costs by reference to issues, parties agree that costs are equally divided between Probate and family provision proceedings – No agreement regarding costs in separate proceedings – In probate claim, in which Cross-Claimants successful, whether circumstances warranted investigation and whether the litigation caused by the conduct of the deceased – In family provision claim, which was dismissed, an Offer of Compromise had been made by Defendants – In separate proceedings, consent to dismissal if Defendants successful on Cross-Claim – Costs incurred in regard to separate proceedings dealt with separately Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) ss 56, 98 Powers of Attorney Act 1998 (Qld) s 107 Succession Act 2006 (NSW) s 57(1)(e) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) rr 20.26, r 42.1, 42.14, 42.15A, 42.2 Cases Cited: AB v Curry (No 2) [2015] NSWSC 1209 Ballam v Ferro [2022] NSWSC 1200 Bassett v Bassett [2021] NSWCA 320 Bates v Cooke (2015) 14 ASTLR 221; [2015] NSWCA 278 Bates v Cooke (No 2) [2014] NSWSC 1322 Brady v Mikan (No 2) [2022] NSWSC 1320 Briggs v Mantz (No 2) [2014] VSC 487 Bruce v Greentree (No 2) [2015] NSWSC 1636 Bullabidgee Pty Ltd v McCleary (No 2) [2011] NSWCA 343 Chaina v Alvaro Homes Pty Ltd [2008] NSWCA 353 Chant v Curcuruto (No 2) [2021] NSWSC 882 Chisak v Presot (No 2) [2021] NSWSC 754 Commonwealth of Australia v Gretton [2008] NSWCA 117 Croghan v Blacktown City Council (2019) 100 NSWLR 757; [2019] NSWCA 248 D Capital 2 Pty Ltd v Western (No 2) [2022] NSWSC 1283 Fielder v Burgess [2014] SASC 98 Fountain Selected Meats (Sales) Pty Ltd v International Produce Merchants Pty Ltd (1988) 81 ALR 397; [1988] FCA 364 Gray v Hart; Estate of Harris (No. 2) [2012] NSWSC 1562 Gray v Richards [No 2] (2014) 89 ALJR 113; [2014] HCA 47 Haertsch v Whiteway (No 2) [2020] NSWCA 287 Hancock v Arnold (No 2) [2009] NSWCA 19 Harkness v Harkness (No 2) [2012] NSWSC 35 Heath v Greenacre Business Park Pty Ltd [2016] NSWCA 34 Houatchanthara v Bednarczyk [1996] NSWCA 253 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 In Re Tsaousis [2019] VSC 511 J-Corp Pty Ltd v Australian Builders Labourers Federation Union of Workers (WA Branch) (No 2) [1993] FCA 42 Karpin v Gough (No 2) [2022] NSWSC 682 Latoudis v Casey (1990) 170 CLR 534; [1990] HCA 59 Leichhardt Municipal Council v Green [2004] NSWCA 341 Ling v Beyond Development Group Pty Ltd (No 2) [2022] NSWSC 817 Maxwell v Maxwell (No 2) [2022] NSWSC 1146 Mendonca v Tonna (No 3) [2020] NSWCA 332 Meres v Meres (No 2) [2017] NSWSC 523 Mitchell v Gard (1863) 3 SW & Tr 275; (1863) 164 ER 1280 Norbis v Norbis (1986) 161 CLR 513; [1986] HCA 17 Northern Territory v Sangare (2019) 265 CLR 164; [2019] HCA 25 Nuendorf v Public Trustee of Queensland (as executor of the estate of Dickfos) (dec) [2015] 1 Qd R 513 Ohn v Walton (1995) 36 NSWLR 77 Oshlack v Richmond River Council (1998) 193 CLR 72; [1998] HCA 11 Page v Hull-Moody [2020] NSWSC 411 Page v Page [No 2] [2016] NSWSC 1323 Pawlowska v Zaiglic [2010] NSWSC 864 Re Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs; Ex parte Lai Qin (1997) 186 CLR 622; [1997] HCA 6 Re Wilcox; Ex parte Venture Industries (No 2) (1996) 72 FCR 151; [1996] FCA 1942 Regency Media Pty Ltd v AAV Australia Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 368 Sassoon v Rose [2013] NSWCA 220 Shovelar v Lane [2011] EWCA Civ 802 Smith v Whittaker [2016] VSC 287 Starr v Miller; Starr v Miller (No 2) [2021] NSWSC 685 Sydney Markets Credit Services Co-Operative Ltd v Taylor (No 3) [2015] NSWSC 1236 Sze Tu v Lowe (No 2) [2015] NSWCA 91 Vector Corrosion Technologies Limited v E-Chem Technologies Ltd [2022] FCA 519 Walker v Harwood [2017] NSWCA 228 Walsh v Walsh (No 2) [2013] NSWSC 1281 Waterman v Gerling Australia Insurance Co Pty Ltd (No 2) [2005] NSWSC 1111 Wheatley v Lakshmanan (No 2) [2022] NSWSC 851 Wright v Apthorpe [2020] NSWCA 300 YWCA Australia v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue (No 2) [2021] NSWSC 102 Category: Costs Parties: Maree-Marcelle Ballam (first Plaintiff) Claudia Puglia (second Plaintiff) Benjamin Puglia (third Plaintiff) Carmelina Ferro (first Defendant) Daniela Cantale (second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: L Ellison SC (Plaintiffs) T Alexis SC with S Speirs (Defendants)