Curtis v Curtis [2024] NSWCA 136

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Curtis v Curtis [2024] NSWCA 136 Hearing dates: 8 May 2024 Decision date: 05 June 2024 Before: Leeming JA at [1]; Mitchelmore JA at [146]; Basten AJA at [147] Decision: 1. Appeal allowed. 2. Set aside the orders made on 28 September 2023, and in lieu thereof, order that the summons be dismissed. 3. Order that the respondents pay the appellant's costs of the appeal and the proceedings below. 4. Grant the respondents a certificate pursuant to the Suitors' Fund Act 1951 (NSW) in respect of the costs of the appeal. Catchwords: SUCCESSION - family provision - claim by grandchildren - whether primary judge erred in finding dependency - whether primary judge erred in finding factors warranting orders for family provision - whether failure in fact finding process in not addressing key documents or central submissions - whether retrial necessary Legislation Cited: Family Provision Act 1982 (NSW) Succession Act 2006 (NSW), ss 41, 57, 59, 60, Sch 1 Suitors' Fund Act 1951 (NSW) Cases Cited: Alexander v Jansson [2010] NSWCA 176 Bezer v Bassan [2019] NSWCA 50; (2019) 87 MVR 447 Bouttell v Rapisarda [2014] NSWSC 1192 Bowditch v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2012] NSWSC 275 Bradley v Matloob [2015] NSWCA 239 Camden v McKenzie [2008] 1 Qd R 39; [2007] QCA 136 Chapple v Wilcox (2014) 87 NSWLR 646; [2014] NSWCA 392 Chisak v Presot [2022] NSWCA 100 Churton v Christian (1988) 13 NSWLR 241; [1988] NSWCA 23 Estate of Awad [2023] NSWSC 765 Hay v Aynsley [2013] NSWSC 1689 Kuhl v Zurich Financial Services Australia Ltd (2011) 243 CLR 361; [2011] HCA 11 Lee v Lee (2019) 266 CLR 129; [2019] HCA 28 Lodin v Lodin [2017] NSWCA 327 Mifsud v Campbell (1991) 21 NSWLR 725 Mitchell v Cullingral Pty Ltd [2012] NSWCA 389 Morrison v Carruthers [2010] NSWSC 430 New South Wales v Hunt (2014) 86 NSWLR 226; [2014] NSWCA 47 Nguyen v Tran [2018] NSWCA 215; (2018) 86 MVR 16 Re Fulop deceased; Fulop v Public Trustee; Bide v Public Trustee (1987) 8 NSWLR 679 Shymko v Lach [2022] NSWSC 1096 Spata v Tumino (2018) 95 NSWLR 706; [2018] NSWCA 17 Straughen-Nicholson v Straughen [2019] NSWSC 1389 Sun v Chapman [2022] NSWCA 132 Yee v Yee [2017] NSWCA 305 Zaya v Damirdjian [2022] NSWCA 203 Texts Cited: New South Wales Law Reform Commission, Report on the Testator's Family Maintenance and Guardianship of Infants Act 1916 (June 1977) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Peter Arthur Curtis (Appellant) Blake Johnathon Curtis (First Respondent) Brock Ryan Curtis (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: C Simpson (Appellant) L Clarke (Respondents)