Alan John Hyland as executor of the estate of the Late John Walter Popham Luscombe v Laura Healey [2013] NSWSC 1513

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Alan John Hyland as executor of the estate of the Late John Walter Popham Luscombe v Laura Healey [2013] NSWSC 1513 Hearing dates: 9-12, 16 September, 8 October 2013 Decision date: 15 October 2013 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Kunc J Decision: Purported later will not admitted to probate Catchwords: WILLS, PROBATE AND ADMINISTRATION - Testamentary instruments - Execution - Circumstantial suspicions raised as to testator's knowledge and approval - Onus of proof - Explanations insufficient to dispel suspicions Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Wills, Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW) Cases Cited: Adler v ASIC [2003] NSWCA 131; (2003) 46 ACSR 504 Attard v James Legal Pty Ltd [2010] NSWCA 311; (2010) 80 ACSR 585 Bailey v Bailey (1924) 34 CLR 558 Barry v Butlin (1838) 2 Moo PCC 480 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Browne v Dunn (1893) 6 R 67 Fuller v Strum [2001] EWCA Civ 1879; [2002] 1 WLR 1097 In Re Levy [1953] VLR 652 In re Munn [1943] SASR 304 In the Estate of Lavinia Musgrove; Davis v Mayhew [1927] P 264 In the Will of Steward [1964] VR 179 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Nock v Austin (1918) 25 CLR 519 Plunkett v Bull (1915) 19 CLR 544 Re Hodges: Shorter v Hodges (1988) 14 NSWLR 698 Romascu v Manolache [2011] NSWSC 1362 Seymour v Australian Broadcasting Commission (1977) 19 NSWLR 219 Tyrell v Painton [1894] P 151 Wintle v Nye [1959] 1 All ER 552 Worth v Clasohm (1952) 86 CLR 439 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Alan John Hyland as executor of the estate of the Late John Walter Popham Luscombe (Plaintiff) Laura Healey (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: M.S. Willmott SC and G.M. McGrath (Plaintiff) S.L. Bell (Defendant) Solicitors: Lobban McNally (Plaintiff) File Number(s): 2010/392763 Publication restriction: No