Grynberg v Muller; Estate Late M Bilfeld [2001] NSWSC 532

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Grynberg v Muller; Estate Late M Bilfeld [2001] NSWSC 532 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Probate FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 119213/94 HEARING DATE(S) : 18-23 & 26-28 February, 1 & 2 March 2001 JUDGMENT DATE : 27 June 2001

Robert Benjamin Grynberg & John Landerer (Ps) PARTIES : Stephen Muller (D1) Moriah War Memorial College Association (D2) JUDGMENT OF : Hamilton J

Dr C J Birch SC (Ps) COUNSEL : No appearance (D1) A J Meagher SC and I M Jackman (D2) Milne Berry & Berger (Ps) SOLICITORS : No representation (D1) Freehills (D2) CATCHWORDS : SUCCESSION [5] & [8] - Wills, probate and administration - The making of a will - Testamentary capacity - Soundness of mind, memory and understanding - Forms of unsoundness of mind - Alzheimer's disease - Paranoid delusion - Onus of proof - In general. LEGISLATION CITED : Evidence Act 1995 s 80 Protected Estates Act 1983 Bailey v Bailey (1924) 34 CLR 558 Banks v Goodfellow (1870) LR 5 QB 549 Nock v Austin (1918) 25 CLR 519 Perpetual Trustee Company Ltd v Baker [1999] NSWCA 244 CASES CITED : Re Estate Griffith (deceased) Easter v Griffith NSWCA 7 June 1995 unreported Re Hodges; Shorter v Hodges (1988) 14 NSWLR 698 Read v Carmody NSWCA 23 July 1998 unreported Shaw v Crichton NSWCA 23 August 1995 unreported Winter v Crichton (1991) 23 NSWLR 116 DECISION : The testator was not established to have capacity to make her 1986 wills or her 1987 will but did have capacity to make her 1985 will.