Gray v Hart & Ors [2012] NSWSC 1435

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Gray v Hart & Ors [2012] NSWSC 1435 Hearing dates: 16, 17, 20-24, and 27-29 February 2012 Decision date: 27 November 2012 Jurisdiction: Equity Division - Probate List Before: White J Decision: Refer to para [387] of judgment. Catchwords: WILLS, PROBATE AND ADMINISTRATION - testamentary capacity - whether deceased had capacity to revoke prior will and create new will - test of capacity required for complete revocation of a will same as that required for making a will - whether deceased affected by delusions at time of making will - deceased held beliefs as to motives of some relatives not only rational but correct - held that deceased had testamentary capacity WILLS, PROBATE AND ADMINISTRATION - righteousness of will and suspicious circumstances doctrine - beneficiaries involved in procuring solicitor for deceased and arranging medical examination, but not in framing will GUARDIANSHIP - financial managers - entitlement to remuneration - private financial managers generally must act gratuitously because they must not place themselves in a position of conflict between their interest and duty - no answer to conflict that fiduciary was acting for the benefit of the principal - private managers only entitled to remuneration allowed by the Court Legislation Cited: Protected Estates Act 1983 (NSW) Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Family Provision Act 1982 (NSW) NSW Trustee and Guardian Act 2009 (NSW) Cases Cited: Trustee for the Salvation Army (NSW) Property Trust v Becker [2007] NSWCA 136; (2007) 14 BPR 26,867 Banks v Goodfellow (1870) LR 5 QB 549 Pemberton v Pemberton (1807) 13 Ves. Jun. 290; 33 All ER 303 Perpetual Trustee Company Limited v Fairlie-Cunninghame (1993) 32 NSWLR 377 d'Apice v Gutkovich (No. 2) [2010] NSWSC 1333 Bull v Fulton (1942) 66 CLR 295 Re Griffith; Easter v Griffith (1995) 217 ALR 284 Boughton v Knight (1873) LR 3 P & D 64 Wechsler v Du Maurier [2002] NSWCA 13 Du Maurier v Wechsler [2001] NSWSC 4 The Lady Mary Cope's Case (1677) 2 Ch Cas 239; 22 ER 926 Ex parte Femor; In the matter of Errington (1821) Jac 404; 37 ER 903 Re Westbrooke (1848) 2 Phil 631 JJK v APK (1986) Aust Torts Reports 80-042 G v B (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Powell J, 27 May 1992, unreported) Gell v Gell [2005] NSWSC 566; (2005) 63 NSWLR 547 Broughton v Broughton (1855) 5 De GM & G 160; (1855) 43 ER 831 In re Doody; Fisher v Doody [1893] 1 Ch 129 In re Gates; Arnold v Gates [1939] 1 Ch 913 In the Estate of Instone (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Powell J, 23 August 1993, unreported, BC9303622) Aberdeen Railway Co v Blaikie Bros (1854) 2 Eq Rep 1281; [1843-60] All ER Rep 249 In the Estate of Purton (1935) 53 WN 148 Snelgrove & Ors v Swindells [2007] NSWSC 868 Worth v Clasohm (1952) 86 CLR 439 Re Estate of Griffith (deceased); Easter v Griffith (1995) 217 ALR 284 Kerr v Badran [2004] NSWSC 735 Zorbas v Sidiropoulos (No. 2) [2009] NSWCA 197 Read v Carmody [1998] NSWCA 182 Shaw v Crichton (Supreme Court of NSW Court of Appeal, Handley, Powell and Cole JJA, 23 August 1995, unreported, BC9505227) Manning v Hughes; Estate of Ludewig [2010] NSWSC 226 Bailey v Bailey (1924) 34 CLR 558 Brown v McEnroe (1890) 11 NSWR Eq 134 In the Estate of Park [1954] P 112 Ridge v Rowden; Estate of Dowling (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Santow J, 10 April 1996, unreported, BC9601342) Gibbons v Wright (1954) 91 CLR 423 In the Will of Richards [1911] VLR 284 Re Sabatini (dec'd) (1969) 114 SJ 35 Re Estate of Poole; Public Trustee v Elderfield (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Young J, 26 April 1996, unreported) Young v Cleary (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Simos J, 21 October 1997; unreported) d'Apice v Gutkovich; Estate of Abraham (No. 2) [2010] NSWSC 1333 Battan Singh v Amirchand [1948] AC 161; [1948] 1 All ER 152 King v Hudson [2009] NSWSC 1013 Fulton v Andrew (1875) LR 7 HL 448 Fuller v Strum [2002] 2 All ER 87 Nock v Austin (1918) 25 CLR 519 Vernon v Watson [2002] NSWSC 600 Texts Cited: Jacobs Law of Trusts in Australia, 7th ed Mason and Handler, Succession Law and Practice, LexisNexis Category: Principal judgment Parties: Beatrice Anne Gray (Plaintiff) Coralie Anne Hart (1st Defendant) Richard Bernard Spinak (2nd Defendant) Warwick Robert Mertell (3rd Defendant) Philip Fletcher Mertell (4th Defendant) Anne Elizabeth Nickolls (5th Defendant) Representation: C Harris SC with H Bennett (Plaintiff) L Ellison SC with M Pringle (1st & 2nd Defendants) C Vindin (3rd - 5th Defendants) Teece Hodgson Ward Solicitors (Plaintiff) Pigott Stinson Lawyers (1st & 2nd Defendants) Heckenberg Lawyers (3rd - 5th Defendants) File Number(s): 2009/319943