Tarbes v Taleb [2023] NSWSC 565

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Tarbes v Taleb [2023] NSWSC 565 Hearing dates: 15 – 16 May 2023 Date of orders: 5 June 2023 Decision date: 05 June 2023 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Meek J Decision: Provision to be given in lieu of provision under Will — Parties to bring in short minutes of order Catchwords: SUCCESSION — Family provision — Large estate ($14.4M - $17.4M) — Claim by a widower of a lengthy marriage. Lump sum provision given to widower in lieu of $1M trust fund under Will allowing for purchase of accommodation and availability of income on balance of trust fund monies after cost of accommodation — Provision sought to cover claims for accommodation, and a lump sum for contingencies and to address a potential contingent liability arising from a potential payback to Centrelink of an amount arising from receipt of a disability support pension — Determination that widower not given adequate provision and order made for provision in lieu of trust fund provisions — Claim for a sum to address potential contingent liability rejected SUCCESSION — Family provision — Discussion of statutory scheme and nature of the evaluative task — What is "proper provision" is not limited by some fixed concept or defined content. It requires an evaluative judgment that has regard to all relevant circumstances, not merely the parties' financial circumstances — The Court is left to form opinions on the basis of its own general knowledge and experience of current social conditions and standards. In each case the Court applies a standard appropriate to all the circumstances of the case SUCCESSION — Family provision — Fact finding in family provision cases — Difficulties of fact finding in respect of historical family disputes — Little point in attempting to make concluded findings about matters of only marginal significance or otherwise irrelevant — However, the Court is assisted by cross-examination on significant matters regarding contributions or significant claims for provision SUCCESSION — Family provision — Discussion of approach to applications involving large estates characterised by no competing claims SUCCESSION — Family provision — Discussion of approaches to large "windfall" increase in value of main asset of the estate SUCCESSION — Family provision — Discussion of relevance of nature of marriage to assessment of family provision claims SUCCESSION — Family provision — Discussion of whether any differing approach applies to family provision claims by widowers as distinct from claims by widows EVIDENCE — Discussion of provisions of evidentiary effect of death certificate pursuant to provisions of Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 2005 (NSW) STATUTORY INTERPRETATION — Discussion of provisions of evidentiary effect of death certificate pursuant to provisions of Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 2005 (NSW) SUCCESSION — Family provision — Discussion regarding obligations of disclosure in family provision cases including early disclosure of information and obtaining Centrelink records. Distinction between "full and frank disclosure" and disclosure for the purposes of assessing the family provision claim SUCCESSION — Family provision — Discussion regarding claim for a potential contingent liability for Centrelink debt Legislation Cited: Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 2005 (NSW) Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Evidence Act 2005 (NSW) Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) Family Provision Act 1982 (NSW) Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) Marriage Act 1961 (Cth) Property (Relationships) Act 1984 (NSW) Relationships Register Act 2010 (NSW) Social Security Act 1991 (Cth) Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 (Cth) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Testator's Family Maintenance and Guardianship of Infants Act 1916 (NSW) Cases Cited: Afchal v Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages [2021] NSWCATAD 24 Alvarez v Matthews [2021] NSWSC 1551 Anasson v Phillips (Supreme Court (NSW), Young J, 4 March 1988, unrep) Anderson v Hill [2017] NSWSC 1149 Andrew v Andrew (2012) 81 NSWLR 656; [2012] NSWCA 308 Aroney v Aroney (Supreme Court (NSW), McLelland J, 26 July 1988, unrep) Auckland City Mission v Brown [2002] 2 NZLR 650 Barbuto, Bradley v Barbuto; Barbuto, James v Barbuto [2019] NSWSC 1023 Bartlett v Coomber [2008] NSWCA 100 Bladwell v Davis [2004] NSWCA 170 Blendell v Byrne; The Estate of Noeline Joan Blendell [2019] NSWSC 583 Burke v Burke [2015] NSWCA 195 Clarke v Clarke [2022] NSWSC 1721 Clayton v Clayton [2023] NSWSC 399 Colantuono v Colantuono; Colantuono v Colantuono [2009] NSWSC 1445 Collings v Vakas [2006] NSWSC 393 Cringle v Cringle [2018] NSWSC 1558 Crisp v Burns Philp Trustee Co Ltd (Supreme Court (NSW), Holland J, 18 December 1979, unrep) Curnow v Curnow [2014] NSWSC 896 Curran v Harvey [2012] NSWSC 276 Diver v Neal [2009] NSWCA 54; (2009) 2 ASTLR 89 DJ Singh v DH Singh [2018] NSWCA 30; (2018) 17 ASTLR 317 Edgar v Registrar, Births Deaths and Marriages [2022] NSWCATAD 170 El-Helou v Smith [2009] NSWSC 741 Elliott v Elliott (Court of Appeal (NSW), Kirby P, Glass and McHugh JJA, 24 April 1986, unrep) Estate Grundy; La Valette v Chambers-Grundy [2018] NSWSC 104; (2018) 17 ASTLR 64 Field v Inglis (Supreme Court (NSW), Young J, 8 February 1994, unrep) Flanagan v Fisher [2021] NSWSC 598 Fletcher v Furnance [2008] NSWSC 132 Gargano v Coves [2018] NSWSC 985 Goodman v Windeyer (1980) 144 CLR 490; [1980] HCA 31 Gorton v Parks (1989) 17 NSWLR 1 Graham v Graham [2011] NSWSC 504 Granatino v Radmacher [2011] 1 AC 534 Hertzberg v Hertzberg [2003] NSWCA 311 Housing Commission of New South Wales v Tatmar Pastoral Co Pty Ltd [1983] 3 NSWLR 378 Hughes v Sharp [2017] NSWSC 962 Ikonomou v Panagopoulos [2017] NSWSC 1805 In re Stollery [1926] Ch 284 In re Sylvester; Sylvester v Public Trustee [1941] Ch 87 In the Estate of Margaret, deceased [2012] NSWSC 1490 Jack v NSW Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages [2019] NSWCATAD 200 Jodell v Woods [2017] NSWSC 143 Johnston v Johnston [2004] NSWSC 497 Kalmar v Kalmar; estate of Kalmar [2006] NSWSC 437 Kearns v Ellis (Court of Appeal (NSW), Glass, Mahoney and McHugh JJA, 5 December 1984, unrep) King v Foster [1995] NSWCA 240 Lemon v Mead (2017) 53 WAR 76; [2017] WASCA 215 Lloyd-Williams v Mayfield (2005) 63 NSWLR 1; [2005] NSWCA 189 Luciano v Rosenblum (1985) 2 NSWLR 65 Magill v Magill (2006) 226 CLR 551; [2006] HCA 51 Mallitt v Gow [2022] NSWSC 1012 Marshall v Carruthers; Marshall v Marshall [2002] NSWCA 47 Martin v Osborne (1936) 55 CLR 367; [1936] HCA 23 Massingham v Massingham [1996] NSWCA 343 Mayfield v Lloyd-Williams [2004] NSWSC 419 McCosker v McCosker (1957) 97 CLR 566; [1957] HCA 82 McDonald v O'Connor [2019] NSWSC 261 Merkuloff v Yalisheff [2003] NSWSC 1183 Milillo v Konnecke [2009] NSWCA 109 Milillo v Konnecke; Borazio v Konnecke [2008] NSWSC 1069 Morgan v Babcock and Wilcox Ltd (1929) 43 CLR 163; [1929] HCA 25 Nudd v Mannix [2009] NSWCA 327 O'Loughlin v O'Loughlin [2003] NSWCA 99 Palmer v Dolman; Dolman v Palmer [2005] NSWCA 361 Plunkett v Bull (1915) 19 CLR 544; [1915] HCA 14 Poletti v Jones [2015] NSWCA 107; (2015) 13 ASTLR 113 Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith v Scales (1962) 107 CLR 9; [1962] HCA 19 R v Barnet London Borough Council; Ex parte Nilish Shah [1983] 2 AC 309 Re Clissold (deceased) [1970] 2 NSWR 619 Re Estate of Alan Bruce Beeby [2020] NSWSC 1512 Re Fulop deceased (1987) 8 NSWLR 679 Re Meier (deceased) [1976] 1 NZLR 257 Re Mercer (deceased) [1977] 1 NZLR 469 Re Pennington, deceased (No 2) [1978] VR 617 Re Thomas, deceased; Queensland Trustees Ltd v Thomas [1932] St R Qd 57 Robinson v Tame [1994] NSWCA 266 Sammut v Kleemann [2012] NSWSC 1030 Sarant v Sarant [2020] NSWSC 1686 Schneider v Kemeny; Kemeny v Schneider [2021] NSWSC 524 Sgro v Thompson [2017] NSWCA 326 Sherborne Estate (No 2): Vanvalen v Neaves; Gilroy v Neaves (2005) 65 NSWLR 268; [2005] NSWSC 1003 Singer v Berghouse (1994) 181 CLR 201; [1994] HCA 40 Soulemezis v Dudley (Holdings) Pty Ltd (1987) 10 NSWLR 247 Spiteri v Vassallo [2020] NSWSC 890 Steinmetz v Shannon (2019) 99 NSWLR 687; [2009] NSWCA 114 Stiles v Joseph (Supreme Court (NSW), Macready M, 16 December 1996, unrep) Stone v Stone [2016] NSWSC 605 Stone v Stone [2019] NSWSC 233 Strang v Steiner [2019] NSWCA 143; (2019) 19 ASTLR 330 Tahana v Hines [2021] NSWSC 564 Tatmar Pastoral Co Pty Ltd v Housing Commission of New South Wales (1984) 54 ALR 155 Varnel v Heyes [2008] NSWSC 978 Verzar v Verzar [2012] NSWSC 1380 Vigolo v Bostin (2005) 221 CLR 191; [2005] HCA 11 Ward v New South Wales Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages [2015] NSWCATAD 86 Webb v Webb; Estate of W E Webb [1999] NSWSC 343 Worladge v Doddridge (1957) 97 CLR 1; [1957] HCA 45 Wray v Wray [2007] NSWSC 164 Yates Property Corp Pty Ltd (in liq) v Darling Harbour Authority (1991) 24 NSWLR 156 Young v Outtrim [2011] NSWSC 391 Texts Cited: Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Regulation 2017 (NSW) Black, Ann, "Adaptions of Islamic family law for the Australian context" (2016) 30(3) Australian Journal of Family Law 159 de Groot, John and Bruce Nickel, Family Provision in Australia (6th ed, 2021, LexisNexis) Handler, Les & Richard Neal, Mason and Handler Succession Law and Practice New South Wales (LexisNexis) Macquarie Dictionary, online ed Marriage Regulations 2017 (Cth) Practice Note SC EQ 7 – Family Provision Supreme Court Rules (Amendment No. 337) 1999 (NSW) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Juan Segundo Tarbes (Plaintiff) Tarek Taleb (First Defendant) Laila Merza (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: D Price (Plaintiff) L Ellison SC (Defendants)