Sheen v Hesan; The Estate of Zaheer [2023] NSWSC 468

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Sheen v Hesan; The Estate of Zaheer [2023] NSWSC 468 Hearing dates: 21 – 23 March and 28 – 29 March 2023 Date of orders: 5 May 2023 Decision date: 05 May 2023 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Hallen J Decision: Direct the parties, within 14 days of these reasons being delivered, to provide in hard and soft copy, Short Minutes of Order that reflect these reasons. Catchwords: SUCCESSION — Contested application for administration of the intestate estate of the deceased, – Whether the Plaintiff a spouse of the deceased, being a party to a domestic partnership with him immediately before his death – Whether de facto relationship had ended prior to deceased's death – Meaning of breakdown of de facto relationship SUCCESSION – FAMILY PROVISION - Alternative claim for family provision order under the Succession Act 2006 (NSW), Ch 3 by Plaintiff – Claim by Plaintiff under s 57(1)(e) or s 57(1)(f) of Succession Act – Each ground of eligibility disputed – Whether factors warranting the making of the application – If not the spouse of the deceased, no provision made for Plaintiff under the operation of the rules of intestacy – Whether adequate and proper provision not made for the Plaintiff and, if not, the nature and quantum of the provision to be made for her Order for provision made Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) s 15B Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) s 98(4) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) ss 30, 140(2) Family Law Act 1976 (Cth) s 4AA(1) Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW) s 21C NSW Trustee and Guardian Act 2009 (NSW) s 23 Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW) ss 63, 86 Property (Relationships) Act 1984 (NSW) s 4(2) Relationships Register Act 2010 (NSW) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) ss 3, 57(1), 59, 60, 63(5), 65, 66, 72(1), 84, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 111, 129(1) Succession Amendment (Intestacy) Act 2009 (NSW) Supreme Court Rules 1970 (NSW) r 78.66 Cases Cited: Alexander v Jansson (2010) 6 ASTLR 432; [2010] NSWCA 176 Amaca Pty Ltd v Novek [2009] NSWCA 50 Anderson v Teboneras [1990] VR 527 Andrew v Andrew (2012) 81 NSWLR 656; [2012] NSWCA 308 Ashton v Pratt (No 2) [2012] NSWSC 3 Askew v Askew [2015] NSWSC 192 Ballam v Ferro [2022] NSWSC 1200 Bar-Mordecai v Hillston [2004] NSWCA 65 Bartlett v Coomber [2008] NSWCA 100 Bkassini v Sarkis [2017] NSWSC 1487 Blendell v Blendell; Blendell v Blendell [2020] NSWCA 154 Blendell v Byrne; Estate of Noeline Joan Blendell [2019] NSWSC 583 Boettcher v Driscoll (2014) 119 SASR 523; [2014] SASC 86 Borebor v Keane (2013) 11 ASTLR 96; [2013] VSC 35 Bosch v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd [1938] AC 463 Bouttell v Rapisarda [2014] NSWSC 1192 Bowyer v Wood (2007) 99 SASR 190; [2007] SASC 327 Britt v Office of State Coroner [2022] WASCA 75 Burke v Burke (No 2) (2015) 13 ASTLR 313; [2015] NSWCA 195 Chapple v Wilcox (2014) 87 NSWLR 646; [2014] NSWCA 392 Chisak v Presot [2022] NSWCA 100 Chiu Man Fu v Chiu Chung Kwan Ying [2012] HKCFI 82 Clarence & Crisp (2016) FLC ¶93–728; [2016] FamCAFC 157 Crabtree v Crabtree (1963) 5 FLR 307 Dakin v Sansbury [2010] FMCAfam 628 de Angelis v de Angelis [2003] VSC 432 Devereaux-Warnes v Hall (No 3) (2007) 35 WAR 127; [2007] WASCA 235 Dion v Rieser [2010] NSWSC 50 Diver v Neal [2009] NSWCA 54; (2009) 2 ASTLR 89 Dow v Hoskins [2003] VSC 206 Dridi v Fillmore [2001] NSWSC 319 Duong v Duong [2018] NSWSC 1696 Estate of the Late Shirley Joan Violet Gardner; Bernengo v Leaney [2019] NSWSC 1324 Estate Pamplin; Irwin v Pamplin [2017] NSWSC 1477 Evans v Braddock [2015] NSWSC 249 Fairbairn v Radecki (2022) 96 ALJR 529; [2022] HCA 18 Fox v Percy (2003) 214 CLR 118 at 129; [2003] HCA 22 Gestmin SGPS SA v Credit Suisse (UK) Ltd [2013] EWHC 3560 (Comm) Goodman v Windeyer (1980) 144 CLR 490; [1980] HCA 31 Gorton v Parks (1989) 17 NSWLR 1 Grey v Harrison [1997] 2 VR 359 H v P [2011] WASCA 78 Hamod v New South Wales and Anor [2011] NSWCA 375 Harrison v Schipp (2002) 54 NSWLR 738; [2002] NSWCA 213 Hayes v Marquis [2008] NSWCA 10 Heyward v Fisher (Court of Appeal (NSW), Kirby P, 26 April 1985, unrep) Hibberson v George (1989) 12 Fam LR 725; [1989] NSWCA 100 Howland v Ellis [2001] NSWCA 456 Hughes v St Barbara Mines Ltd [No 4] [2010] WASC 160 Hunter v Hunter (1987) 8 NSWLR 573 In the Estate of the late Marras [2014] NSWSC 915 Indjic v Stojanovic [2020] NSWSC 470 Ingamells v Western Australian Trustees Ltd (Supreme Court (WA), 5 March 1993, unrep) Jonah & White (2011) 258 FLR 236; (2011) 45 Fam LR 460 Kendell & Vilmos [2022] FedCFamC2F 1484 Koellner v Spicer [2019] NSWSC 1571 Kogan v Martin [2019] EWCA Civ 1645 Lachaux v Lachaux [2017] 4 WLR 57; [2017] EWHC 385 (Fam) Light v Anderson [1992] NSWCA 136 Liprini v Liprini [2008] NSWSC 423 Longman v R (1989) 168 CLR 79; [1989] HCA 60 Lynam v Director General of Social Security (1983) 52 ALR 128 Mallitt v Gow [2022] NSWSC 1012 Markulin v Drew (NSWSC, 12 August 1992, unrep) Matthews v Wear [2011] NSWSC 1145 McCosker v McCosker (1957) 97 CLR 566; [1957] HCA 82 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v Angkawijaya (2016) 236 FCR 303; [2016] FCAFC 5 Na v Tiu (No 2) [2017] FamCAFC 269 Nominal Defendant v Smith [2015] NSWCA 339 Onassis and Calegoropoulos v Vergottis [1968] 2 Lloyd's Rep 403 Page v Hull-Moody [2020] NSWSC 411 Page v Page [2017] NSWCA 141 Papas v Co [2018] NSWSC 1404 Petersen v Gregory; Estate Glenn Alfred Petersen [2007] NSWSC 8 Piras v Egan [2008] NSWCA 59 Plunkett v Bull (1915) 19 CLR 544; [1915] HCA 14 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 Prior v Brown [2011] NSWSC 1006 Prior v Brown [2013] NSWCA 4 Purnell v Tindale [2020] NSWSC 746 Quijarro v Robson [2008] NSWSC 818 R (on the application of M) v Slough Borough Council [2008] 1 WLR 1808; [2008] UKHL 52 R v Jawid [2022] NSWSC 788 Rakovich v Marszalek [2020] NSWSC 589 Re Estate Jerrard, deceased (2018) 97 NSWLR 1106; [2018] NSWSC 781 Richardson v Armistead [2000] VSC 551 Robson v Quijarro [2009] NSWCA 365 Russell v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2013] NSWSC 370 S v B [2005] 1 Qd R 537; [2004] QCA 449 S v B (No 2) [2005] 1 Qd R 537; (2004) 32 Fam LR 429; [2004] QCA 449 Sam Wardy v Gordon Salier; William Wardy v Gordon Salier; Hassiba Wardy v Estate of late Edmond Wadih Wardy developer and Ch 3 of the Succession Act 2006 [2014] NSWSC 473 Sammut v Kleemann [2012] NSWSC 1030 Saravinovska v Saravinovski (No 6) [2016] NSWSC 964 Scragg v Scott (2006) 25 FRNZ 942; [2006] NZFLR 1076 Sergent v Glass (No 2) (2018) 18 ASTLR 29; [2018] NSWSC 1100 Sgro v Thompson [2017] NSWCA 326 Sharpless v McKibbin [2007] NSWSC 1498; (2008) DFC 95-414 Simonis v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd (1987) 21 NSWLR 677 Singer v Berghouse (1994) 181 CLR 201; [1994] HCA 40 Slack v Rogan; Palffy v Rogan (2013) 85 NSWLR 253; [2013] NSWSC 522 Smith v Johnson (2015) 14 ASTLR 175; [2015] NSWCA 297 Smoje v Forrester [2017] NSWCA 308 Smyth & Pappas [2011] FamCA 434 Spata v Tumino [2017] NSWSC 111 Spata v Tumino [2018] NSWCA 17 State Rail Authority of NSW v Earthline Constructions Pty Ltd (in liq) (1999) 73 ALJR 306; [1999] HCA 3 Steinmetz v Shannon [2019] NSWCA 114 Stern v Sekers; Sekers v Sekers [2010] NSWSC 59 Stott v Cook (1960) 33 ALJR 447 Sun v Chapman [2022] NSWCA 132 Sun v Chapman (No 2) [2021] NSWSC 1231 Sung v Malaxos [2015] NSWSC 186 SZOXP v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2015) 231 FCR 1; [2015] FCAFC 69 Thomas v The Times Book Co [1966] 2 All ER 241; [1966] 1 WLR 911 Tobin v Ezekiel (2012) 83 NSWLR 757; [2012] NSWCA 285 Vaughan v Hoskovich [2010] NSWSC 706 Verzar v Verzar [2012] NSWSC 1380 Vigolo v Bostin (2005) 221 CLR 191; [2005] HCA 11 Walker v Walker [1996] NSWSC 188 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 Webb v Ryan [2012] VSC 377 White v Barron (1980) 144 CLR 431; [1980] HCA 14 Wilkie v Brown [2016] NSWCA 128 Wolff v Deavin [2012] NSWSC 1315 Ye v Fung [2006] NSWSC 243 Yee v Yee [2017] NSWCA 305 Zahra v Francica [2009] NSWSC 1206 Texts Cited: New South Wales Law Reform Commission, Uniform Succession Laws: Intestacy [2007] NSWLRC 116 Oxford English Dictionary, online ed, April 2023 P McClellan, "Who Is Telling the Truth? Psychology, Common Sense and the Law" (2006) 80 ALJ 655, 665 R Atherton, "The Concept of Moral Duty in the Law of Family Provision – A Gloss or Critical Understanding?" (1999) 5(1) Australian Journal of Legal History 5, 10 Shorter Oxford Dictionary, 6th ed (2007) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Doe Hwa Sheen (Plaintiff/Cross-Defendant) Najia Hesan (Defendant/Cross-Claimant) Representation: Counsel: D Barlin (Plaintiff/Cross-Defendant) L J Ellison SC and C Alexander (Defendant/Cross-Claimant)