de Angelis v Laundy [2014] NSWSC 456

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: de Angelis v Laundy [2014] NSWSC 456 Hearing dates: 31 March, 1-2 April, 2014 Decision date: 03 April 2014 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Hallen J Decision: See Paragraph 73 of the Judgment Catchwords: COSTS - Contested Probate Proceedings - No dispute about validity of Will - Dispute about validity of Codicil - Cross-Claimant does not seek to propound Codicil on third day of hearing - How the burden of costs should be borne - Both parties, who are siblings, are named executors but agree that they cannot administer the estate together - Utility of independent administrator to administer the estate - Independent administrator consented to by both parties appointed Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Gray v Hart; Estate of Harris (No 2) [2012] NSWSC 1562 Kostic v Chaplin [2007] EWHC 2909; [2007] All ER (D) 119 McNamara v Bao San [2010] NSWSC 809 Middlebrook v Middlebrook (1962-1963) 36 ALJR 216 Mitchell v Gard (1863) 3 Sw & Tr 275 at 279; 164 ER 1280 Nicholson v Knaggs [No 3 - Severance And Costs] [2009] VSC 328 Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd v Baker [1999] NSWCA 244 Re Estate of the late Hazel Ruby Grounds; Page v Sedawie [2005] NSWSC 1311 Re Hodges; Shorter v Hodges (1988) 14 NSWLR 698 Re Plant [1926] P 139 Shorten v Shorten (No 2) [2003] NSWCA 60 Category: Costs Parties: Robyn Lesley De Angelis (Plaintiff) Arthur Harold Laundy (first Defendant) Laundy Enterprises Pty Ltd ACN 000 212 617 (second Defendant) Laundy (Trading) Pty Ltd ACN 000 497 254 (third Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Dr A Bell SC; Mr M Izzo (Plaintiff) Mr M Willmott SC; Mr D Liebhold (first Defendant) Solicitors: Yeldham Price O'Brien Lusk (Plaintiff) Teece Hodgson & Ward Solicitors (Defendants) File Number(s): 2012/373295