Etherton v Mitchelmore [2024] NSWSC 170

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Etherton v Mitchelmore [2024] NSWSC 170 Hearing dates: 5 and 6 February 2024 Date of orders: 29 February 2024 Decision date: 29 February 2024 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Basten AJ Decision: (1) Direct that evidence in each of the probate and family provision proceedings be evidence in the other, subject to relevance. (2) Dismiss the statement of claim in matter 2022/368714 filed 7 December 2022. (3) Subject to compliance with the Probate Rules of the Court, grant probate in solemn form of the will dated 10 August 2016 of Caterina Felice Bohen to Dean Joseph Mitchelmore, solicitor. (4) Remit the proceeding to the Senior Deputy Registrar in Probate to complete the grant. (5) Order that the executor's costs of the proceeding be paid from the estate, to be assessed on an indemnity basis. Catchwords: SUCCESSION – informal document – testamentary intention – intention that document be an alteration to a will – document purporting to express testamentary intention – document signed by testator – testator with history of making false statements in relation to her testamentary intentions – failure to see solicitor before or after preparing document – failure to deliver document for safekeeping – Succession Act 2006 (NSW), s 8 COSTS – party proposing informal will to be admitted to probate – applicant unsuccessful – whether applicant's costs should be paid out of the estate –document purported to disinherit testator's family – likely effect of pending family provision claims – whether pursuit of claim reasonable Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 56, 60, 98 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 140 Succession Act 2006 (NSW), ss 6, 8, 11, Pt 3.2, 100 Wills, Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW), s 17 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 42.1 Cases Cited: Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336; [1938] HCA 34 Fast v Rockman [2013] VSC 18 Re Estate of Hodges (dec'd); Shorter v Hodges (1988) 14 NSWLR 698 Housing Commission of New South Wales v Falconer [1981] 1 NSWLR 547 Campton v Hedges [2016] NSWSC 201 Hatsatouris v Hatsatouris [2001] NSWCA 408 Middlebrook v Middlebrook (1962) 36 ALJR 216 Estate Moran; Teasel v Hooke [2014] NSWSC 1839 Perpetual Trustee Company Limited v Baker [1999] NSWCA 244 Shorten v Shorten (No 2) [2003] NSWCA 60 Ohn v Walton (1995) 36 NSWLR 77 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Robin Etherton (Plaintiff) Dean Joseph Mitchelmore (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: RW Tregenza (Plaintiff) JE Armfield (Defendant)