Drury v Smith [2012] NSWSC 1067

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Drury v Smith [2012] NSWSC 1067 Hearing dates: 12 July 2012; 5, 6 September 2012 Decision date: 18 September 2012 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Hallen AsJ Decision: (i) Having found that the Plaintiff, Elaine Gibson Drury, is an eligible person, and that the provision made for her in the Will of the deceased is inadequate for her proper maintenance or advancement in life, order that she receive a lump sum of $300,000 out of the estate of the deceased. (ii) Order that the burden of the provision made for the Plaintiff, should be borne out of the residuary estate and that the three children of the deceased should bear the burden of that provision equally. (iii) Order that no interest is to be paid on the lump sum, if it is paid within 28 days of the making of these orders; otherwise, interest calculated at the rate prescribed by s 84A(3) of the Probate and Administration Act 1898, on unpaid legacies, is to be paid from that date until the date of payment of the lump sum. (iv) Order that the costs of all parties shall be determined after further submissions, unless agreement is reached between them. (v) Order that the Exhibits should be dealt with in accordance with the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 following the determination of the costs of the proceedings. Catchwords: SUCCESSION - Plaintiff makes a claim for a family provision order - Alternative grounds of eligibility relied upon - Defendant one of the children of the deceased and the executrix appointed in the Will of the deceased, to whom Probate was granted - Dispute whether the Plaintiff is an eligible person - If so, and if relevant, no dispute that there are factors warranting making of application - Whether family provision order should be made and if so nature of the order Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 Family Provision Act 1982 Interpretation Act 1987 Probate and Administration Act 1898 Property (Relationships) Act 1984 Succession Act 2006 Succession Amendment (Family Provision) Act 2008 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 Cases Cited: Alexander v Jansson [2010] NSWCA 176 Allardice, In re, Allardice v Allardice (1909) 29 NZLR 959 Amaca Pty Ltd v Novek [2009] NSWCA 50 Ball v Newey (1988) 13 NSWLR 489 Bar-Mordecai v Hillston [2004] NSWCA 65 Barlevy v Nadolski [2011] NSWSC 129 Bartlett v Coomber [2008] NSWCA 100 Bosch v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd [1938] AC 463 Brown v Faggoter [1998] NSWCA 44 Churton v Christian (1988) 13 NSWLR 241 Clifford v Mayr [2010] NSWCA 6 Collins v McGain [2003] NSWCA 190 Cooper v Dungan (1976) 50 ALJR 539 Crisp v Burns Philp Trustee Company Ltd (NSWSC, 18 December 1979, unreported) Dakin v Sansbury [2010] FMCAfam 628 Devereaux-Warnes v Hall (No 3) [2007] WASCA 235; (2007) 35 WAR 127 Dion v Rieser [2010] NSWSC 50 Diver v Neal [2009] NSWCA 54; (2009) 2ASTLR 89 Dow v Hoskins [2003] VSC 206 Dridi v Fillmore [2001] NSWSC 319 Evans v Levy [2011] NSWCA 125 Foley v Ellis [2008] NSWCA 288 Forsyth v Sinclair [2010] VSCA 147 Fulop Deceased, Re (1987) 8 NSWLR 679 Gardiner v Gardiner (NSWSC, 28 May 1998, unreported) Geoghegan v Szelid [2011] NSWSC 1440 Goodman v Windeyer (1980) 144 CLR 490 Gorton v Parks (1989) 17 NSWLR 1 Hayes v Marquis [2008] NSWCA 10 Hughes v Charlton [2008] NSWSC 467 Ingamells v Western Australia Trustees Ltd (Full Court of the Supreme Court of WA, 5 March 1993, unreported) Kay v Archbold [2008] NSWSC 254 Kembrey v Cuskelly [2008] NSWSC 262 Light v Anderson (1992) DFC 95-120 Luciano v Rosenblum (1985) 2 NSWLR 65 Lynam v Director General of Social Security (1983) 52 ALR 128 McCosker v McCosker (1957) 97 CLR 566 McKenzie v Baddeley [1991] NSWCA 197 Marcuola-Bel Estate, Re; Marcuola-Bel v Thi Ly Tran [2005] NSWSC 1182 Marsh-Johnson v Hillcoat [2008] NSWSC 1337 Marshall v Carruthers [2002] NSWCA 47 Mayfield v Lloyd-Williams [2004] NSWSC 419 Milillo v Konnecke [2009] NSWCA 109; (2009) 2 ASTLR 235 Moby v Schulter [2010] FamCA 748 O'Loughlin v O'Loughlin [2003] NSWCA 99 Palaganio v Mankarios [2011] NSWSC 61 Penfold v Perpetual Trustee [2002] NSWSC 648 Petrohilos v Hunter (1991) 25 NSWLR 343 Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith v Scales [1962] HCA 19; (1962) 107 CLR 9 Popescu v Borun [2011] NSWSC 1532 Porthouse v Bridge [2007] NSWSC 686 Przewoznik v Scott [2005] NSWSC 74 Puckridge, Deceased, In the Estate of (1978) 20 SASR 72 Richardson v Kidd [2002] NSWSC 306 Robson v Quijarro [2009] NSWCA 365 Scragg v Scott [2006] NZFLR 1076 Sellers v Scrivenger [2010] VSC 320 Sharpless v McKibbin [2007] NSWSC 1498; (2008) DFC 95-414 Simonis v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd (1987) 21 NSWLR 677 Singer v Berghouse (No 2) (1994) 181 CLR 201 Sitch (deceased), Re the Will of; Gillies v Executors of the Will of Sitch [2005] VSC 308 Skinner v Frappell [2008] NSWCA 296 Stern v Sekers; Sekers v Sekers [2010] NSWSC 59 Stiles v Joseph (NSWSC, 16 December 1996, unreported) Stott v Cook (1960) 33 ALJR 447 Sullman v Sullman [2002] NSWSC 169 Thompson v The Public Trustee of New South Wales [2010] NSWSC 1137 Tsivinsky v Tsivinsky [1991] NSWCA 269 Vigolo v Bostin (2005) 221 CLR 191 Walker v Walker (NSWSC, Young J, 17 May 1996, unreported) Ye v Fung [2006] NSWSC 243 Texts Cited: Mason and Handler's "Succession Law and Practice New South Wales" Second Reading Speech of the Property (Relationships) Legislation Amendment Bill (Legislative Assembly, (Hansard) 26 May 1999) The Macquarie Dictionary Category: Principal judgment Parties: Elaine Gibson Drury (Plaintiff) Carol Ann Smith (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr D Williams (Plaintiff) Mr B Ralston (Defendant) Solicitors: D M Roberts & Co (Plaintiff) Matthews Folbigg (Defendant) File Number(s): 2011/362424