Stern v Sekers; Sekers v Sekers [2010] NSWSC 59

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Stern v Sekers; Sekers v Sekers [2010] NSWSC 59

HEARING DATE(S) : 14, 15, 16, 17 December 2009

JUDGMENT DATE : 12 February 2010

JURISDICTION : Equity Division Family Provision Act List

JUDGMENT OF : Ward J

DECISION : Provision made

CATCHWORDS : SUCCESSION – family provision and maintenance – principles upon which relief granted – application made by three adults from first marriage for provision from father's estate –large estate left to five children from both marriages and second wife – whether inadequate provision made for three children from first marriage – if so, what provision ought to be made – one claimant with serious psychological condition requiring provision for special care – application of discount tables to lump sum award – whether property held by second wife as a result of survivorship and distribution of deceased's estate is available to be designated notional estate after second wife's death – held that inadequate provision made – property held by or distributed to second wife not able to be designated notional estate – provision ordered for plaintiffs by rewriting of testamentary trusts and capital sum to be held under special disability trust for one of claimants

Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Explanatory Memorandum for the Corporate Law Economic Reform Program Bill 1999 Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) LEGISLATION CITED : Family Provision Act 1982 Social Security Act 1991 (Cth) Succession Act 2006 Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth)

CATEGORY : Principal judgment

Barbara Mayfield v Suzy Carolyn Lloyd-Williams [2004] NSWSC 419 Bladwell v Davis [2004] NSWCA 170 Bosch v Perpetual Trustee Co [1938] AC 463 Bovaird v Frost [2009] NSWSC 337 Brookfield v Yevad Products Pty Limited [2004] FCA 1164 Button v Lynch [2002] NSWSC 1148 Caldwell v Ang (unreported, NSWSC, 11 April 1991) Cetojevic v Cetojevic [2006] NSWSC 431 Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Collings v Vakas [2006] NSWSC 393 Crisp v Burns Philip Trustee Company Ltd (unreported, NSWSC, 18 December 1979), Cropley v Cropley [2002] NSWSC 349 Davies v Eli Lilly & Co [1987] 1 All ER 801 Diver v Neal [2009] NSWCA 54 Falkingham v Falkingham [2002] NSWSC 534 Fellows v Paterson [2002] NSWSC 190 Foley v Ellis [2008] NSWCA 288 Ford v Simes [2008] NSWSC 1120 Ford v Simes [2009] NSWCA 351 Gillett v Holt [1998] 3 All ER 917 Gorton v Parks (1989) 17 NSWLR 1 Hardcastle v Advanced Mining Technologies Pty Ltd [2001] FCA 1846 In Re Hattie [1943] SR (Qld) 1 Kalmar v Kalmar [2006] NSWSC 437 CASES CITED : Kavalee v Burbidge (1998) 43 NSWLR 422 Kearns v Ellis (unreported, NSWCA, 5 December 1984) Kennon v Spry [2008] HCA 56; (2008) 238 CLR 366 Lloyd-Williams v Mayfield [2005] NSWCA 189 Lonrho Limited v Shell Petroleum Co Limited [1980] 1 WLR 627 McGrath v Eves [2005] NSWSC 1006 Minister of Employment and Workplace Relations v Gribbles Radiology Pty Ltd [2005] HCA 9; (2005) 222 CLR 1994 Nicholls v Hall [2007] NSWCA 356 O'Loughlin v Low [2002] NSWSC 222 Palmdale Insurance Limited (in liq.) v L Grollo & Co Pty Limited [1987] VR 113 Palmer v Dolman; Dolman v Palmer [2005] NSWCA 361 Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith v Scales [1962] HCA 19; (1961) 107 CLR 9 Pope and Ors v Christie Matter No 4918/94 [1998] NSWSC 118 Prince v Argue [2002] NSWSC 1217 Re Buckland deceased [1966] VR 404 Re Gilbert (1946) 46 SR (NSW) 318 Retter v Permanent Trustee Co Limited: Re Estate of Rita Retter, (unreported, NSWSC 13 April 1994) Robinson v Tame (unreported, NSWCA, 9 December 1994) Schaeffer v Schaeffer (1994) 36 NSWLR 315 Singer v Berghouse (No 2) (1994) 181 CLR 201 Tan & Ors v St George Bank Ltd & Ors [2005] WASC 143 Taylor v Santos Limited (1998) 71 SASR 434 Todorovic v Waller [1981] HCA 72; (1981) 150 CLR 402 Vigolo v Bostin (2005) 221 CLR 191 Walker v Walker, unreported, NSWSC, 17 May 1996 Wheatley v Wheatley [2006] NSWCA 262