Plummer & Anor v Montgomery [2023] NSWSC 175

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Plummer & Anor v Montgomery [2023] NSWSC 175 Hearing dates: 31 January 2023 – 2 February 2023 Date of orders: 3 March 2023 Decision date: 03 March 2023 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Hallen J Decision: The Court, having regard to all the facts known as at the date of hearing the application, and not being satisfied that adequate provision for each of the Plaintiff's proper maintenance and advancement in life has not been made by the deceased's Will, declines to make any order for provision for each out of the deceased's estate. Orders that the proceedings be dismissed with costs. Catchwords: SUCCESSION – Family provision – Claim under Ch 3 Succession Act 2006 (NSW) for a family provision order by two, now adult, stepchildren of the deceased, each of whom claims to have been a member of the household of which deceased was a member and wholly, or partly, dependent upon her – Initially dispute concerning whether each Plaintiff an eligible person – Ultimately accepted that each was a member of the household and partly dependent upon the deceased –Where limited contact with the deceased after early to mid-2000s, virtually no contact after 2012, and no contact at all following the death of the deceased's husband, the father of the Plaintiffs, in 2016 – Detailed written reasons provided by the deceased for not making any provision for each Plaintiff – Relevance of reasons where dispute as to some of those reasons – Dispute as to whether factors warranting the making of the application – Whether the nature of the relationship of each Plaintiff with the deceased precludes, or whether otherwise on discretionary grounds the Court should not make, provision for each Plaintiff out of the deceased's estate Legislation Cited: Administration and Probate Act 1958 (Vic) Family Provision Act 1969 (ACT) Family Provision Act 1970 (NT) Family Provision Act 1972 (WA) Inheritance (Family Provision) Act 1972 (SA) Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW) Succession Act 1981 (Qld) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Cases Cited: Anderson v Teboneras [1990] VR 527 Bassett v Bassett [2021] NSWCA 320 Benham v Benham [2004] NSWSC 416 Bezjak v Wyatt [2018] NSWSC 199 Blendell v Blendell; Blendell v Blendell [2020] NSWCA 154 Blendell v Byrne; Estate of Noeline Joan Blendell [2019] NSWSC 583 Brown v Brown [2022] NSWSC 1393 Carey v Robson (No 2) [2009] NSWSC 1199 Chisak v Presot [2021] NSWSC 597 Cooper v Atkin [2020] NSWSC 828 Cooper v Dungan (1976) 50 ALJR 539 Dannawi v Dannaway [2019] NSWSC 1287 Diver v Neal (2009) 2 ASTLR 89; [2009] NSWCA 54 Estate Pascale [2016] NSWSC 443 Forsyth v Sinclair (No 2) (2010) 28 VR 635; [2010] VSCA 195 Freeman v Jaques [2006] 1 Qd R 318; [2005] QCA 423 Gorton v Parks (1989) 17 NSWLR 1 Graziani v Graziani (Supreme Court (NSW), 20 February 1987, unrep) Hampson v Hampson (2010) 5 ASTLR 116; [2010] NSWCA 359 Harkness v Harkness (No 2) [2012] NSWSC 35 Hughes v National Trustees, Executors & Agency Company of Australasia Ltd (1979) 143 CLR 134; [1979] HCA 2 In re Green, deceased; Zukerman v Public Trustee [1951] NZLR 135; [1950] NZGazLawRp 121 Limberger v Limberger; Oakman v Limberger [2021] NSWSC 474 Matthews v Wear [2011] NSWSC 1145 McCosker v McCosker (1957) 97 CLR 566; [1957] HCA 82 Nock v Austin (1918) 25 CLR 519; [1918] HCA 73 Page v Hull-Moody [2020] NSWSC 411 Page v Page (2017) 16 ASTLR 331; [2017] NSWCA 141 Petrohilos v Hunter (1995) 25 NSWLR 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 Purnell v Tindale [2020] NSWSC 746 R v Cook; Ex parte C (1985) 156 CLR 249; [1985] HCA 47 Re Fulop (1987) 8 NSWLR 679 Re Marsella; Marsella v Wareham [2018] VSC 312 Sammut v Kleemann [2012] NSWSC 1030 Sgro v Thompson [2017] NSWCA 326 Slack v Rogan; Palffy v Rogan (2013) 85 NSWLR 253; [2013] NSWSC 522 Slack-Smith v Slack-Smith [2010] NSWSC 625 Spata v Tumino [2018] NSWCA 17 Sreckovic v Sreckovic [2018] NSWSC 1597 Steinmetz v Shannon (2019) 99 NSWLR 687; [2019] NSWCA 114 Sun v Chapman [2022] NSWCA 132 Tobin v Ezekiel (2012) 83 NSWLR 757; [2012] NSWCA 285 Vigolo v Bostin (2005) 221 CLR 191; [2005] HCA 11 Yee v Yee [2017] NSWCA 305 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Sharon Dorothea Plummer (first Plaintiff) Michelle Helen Hunt (second Plaintiff) Lisa Marion Montgomery (first Defendant) Stephen Joseph Simpson Montgomery (second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: B Gillies (Plaintiffs) G A Rich (Defendants)