Kelly v Deluchi [2012] NSWSC 841

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Kelly v Deluchi [2012] NSWSC 841 Hearing dates: 23 & 24 July 2012 Decision date: 26 July 2012 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Hallen AsJ Decision: Direct the parties to bring in short minutes of order to reflect the reasons and the proposed orders. Stand the matter over to a suitable date for counsel and the Court for the making of orders and for any argument as to costs. Catchwords: SUCCESSION - FAMILY PROVISION - NOTIONAL ESTATE - Two Plaintiffs, a son and a daughter of the deceased, seek a family provision order out of the estate and/or notional estate of the deceased under the Succession Act 2006 - Each Plaintiff received a general legacy out of the estate in the deceased's Will - Actual estate insufficient to satisfy all general legacies - The Defendants are the executors to whom Probate granted, the widow of the deceased and the Trustee of the Superannuation Fund of which the deceased was a member - Following the deceased's death, property in the Fund became held by the widow as a result of the resolution of the Trustee - Whether to make a family provision order and an order designating property as notional estate - If orders for provision made, how the burden of that provision and for the costs of the proceedings should be borne

EVIDENCE - Production of prior wills and testamentary instruments and notes of instructions - Whether client legal privilege may be claimed - Whether would result in disclosure of a confidential communication or the confidential contents of a document Legislation Cited: Family Provision Act 1982 Probate and Administration Act 1898 Property (Relationships) Act 1984 Succession Act 2006 Succession Amendment (Family Provision) Act 2008 The Revised Professional Conduct and Practice Rules 1995 Cases Cited: Alexander v Jansson [2010] NSWCA 176 Allardice v Allardice, In re Allardice, (1909) 29 NZLR 959 Barns v Barns [2003] HCA 9 [2005] SydLawRw 12; (2005) 27(2) Sydney Law Review 263 Bartlett v Coomber [2008] NSWCA 100 Blore v Lang (1960) 104 CLR 124 Bondelmonte v Blanckensee [1989] WAR 305 Bosch v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd [1938] AC 463 Buckland Deceased, Re [1966] VR 404 Butcher v Craig [2009] WASC 164 Christie v Manera [2006] WASC 287 Collins v McGain [2003] NSWCA 190 Cooper v Dungan (1976) 50 ALJR 539 Cropley v Cropley [2002] NSWSC 349 Crossman v Riedel [2004] ACTSC 127 Devereaux-Warnes v Hall [No 3] [2007] WASCA 235; (2007) 35 WAR 127 Diver v Neal [2009] NSWCA 54 Edgar v Public Trustee for the Northern Territory [2011] NTSC 5 Foley v Ellis [2008] NSWCA 288 Galt v Compagnon (NSWSC, 24 February, 1998, unreported) Gardiner v Gardiner (NSWSC, 28 May 1998, unreported) Goodman v Windeyer (1980) 144 CLR 490 Gorton v Parks (1989) 17 NSWLR 1 Grant v Downs [1976] HCA 63; (1976) 135 CLR 674 Harris, Re (1936) 5 SASR 497 Hawkins v Prestage (1989) 1 WAR 37 Hawksford v Hawksford [2005] NSWSC 796 Hughes v National Trustees Executors and Agency Co. of Australasia Ltd (1979) 143 CLR 134 Hyland v Burbidge [2000] NSWSC 12 John v John [2010] NSWSC 937 Kavalee v Burbidge; Hyland v Burbidge (1998) 43 NSWLR 422 Kay v Archbold [2008] NSWSC 254 Kembrey v Cuskelly [2008] NSWSC 262 Kleinig v Neal (No 2) [1981] 2 NSWLR 532 Luciano v Rosenblum (1985) 2 NSWLR 65 McCosker v McCosker (1957) 97 CLR 566 McGrath v Eves [2005] NSWSC 1006 MacGregor v MacGregor [2003] WASC 169 Marks v Marks [2003] WASCA 297 Mayfield v Lloyd-Williams [2004] NSWSC 419 O'Loughlin v O'Loughlin [2003] NSWCA 99 Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith v Scales [1962] HCA 19; (1962) 107 CLR 9 Puckridge, Deceased, In the Estate of (1978) 20 SASR 72 Russell v Scott [1936] HCA 34; (1936) 55 CLR 440 Singer v Berghouse [1994] HCA 40; (1994) 181 CLR 201 Smith v Woodward (NSWSC, 9 September 1994, unreported) Stern v Sekers; Sekers v Sekers [2010] NSWSC 59 Stiles v Joseph (NSWSC, 16 December 1996, unreported) Stott v Cook (1960) 33 ALJR 447 Taylor v Farrugia [2009] NSWSC 801 Vigolo v Bostin [2005] HCA 11; (2005) 221 CLR 191 Walker v Walker (NSWSC, 17 May 1996, unreported) Worladge v Doddridge (1957) 97 CLR 1 Young & Grainger v Outtrim [2011] NSWSC 391 Texts Cited: Rosalind Croucher "Contracts to Leave Property by Will and Family Provision after Barns v Barns" (2005) 27(2) Sydney Law Review 263 New South Wales Law Reform Commission Report 110 (2005) - Uniform Succession Laws: Family Provision Category: Principal judgment Parties: Mark Edward Kelly (first Plaintiff) Peter Roy Kelly (second Plaintiff) Michele Jacqueline Twa (third Plaintiff) Alexander Deluchi (first Defendant) Robyn Andreazza (second Defendant) Mary Kelly (third Defendant) R E Kelly Consulting Services Pty Limited (fourth Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr J Armfield (Plaintiffs) Mr A Deluchi (solicitor) (first & second Defendants) Mr L Ellison SC (third & fourth Defendants) Solicitors: Fox & Staniland Lawyers (Plaintiffs) ACDLegal (first & second Defendants) Northern Beaches Lawyers (third & fourth Defendants) File Number(s): 2010/410766