MILLER & ORS v COONEY & ORS t/as HOWARD COONEY HARVEY [2004] NSWCA 380

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : MILLER & ORS v COONEY & ORS t/as HOWARD COONEY HARVEY [2004] NSWCA 380 HEARING DATE(S) : 13 September 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 1 November 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Sheller JA at 1; Hodgson JA at 38; Santow JA at 39 DECISION : 1 For the purposes of this appeal Roy Miller, the husband of the deceased appellant, Marcia Gladys Miller, be appointed to represent her estate; 2 Appeal dismissed with costs.

CATCHWORDS : WILL - solicitor's duty to take reasonable care to give effect to the client's intentions - whether beyond solicitor's retainer to check instructions given for a previous will - whether further enquiry should have been made as to ownership of property being disposed of - evidence as to usual practices of a solicitor LEGISLATION CITED : Succession Act 1981 (Queensland) Wills Probate and Administration Act 1898 Carr-Glynn v Frearsons [1999] Ch 326 Curneck v Nitschke [2001] NSWCA 176 Erl v Wilhelm (1998) 2 WWR 522 CASES CITED : Hawkins v Clayton (1988) 164 CLR 539 Heydon v NRMA Limited (2000) 36 ACSR 462 Hill v Van Erp (1997) 188 CLR 159 Permanent Trustee Australia Ltd v Boulton & Lynjoe Pty Ltd (1994) 33 NSWLR 735 Waimond Pty Ltd v Bryne (1989) 18 NSWLR 642 PARTIES : Marcia Gladys Miller, Jason Miller, William Miller, Tracey Ann Booby, Victoria Louise Slavin - Appellants Chris Cooney, Phillip Harvey and Patrick Sheridan t/as Howard Cooney Harvey - Respondents FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40106/04 COUNSEL : D L Davies SC - Appellants S A Kerr - Respondents SOLICITORS : Napier Keen - Appellants Phillips Fox - Respondents