Underwood v Gaudron [2014] NSWSC 1055

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Underwood v Gaudron [2014] NSWSC 1055 Hearing dates: 22 and 24 July 2014 Decision date: 07 August 2014 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Hallen J Decision: (a) The Plaintiff's amended Summons is dismissed. (b) Subject to any submissions, there be no order as to either party's costs, to the intent that she, and they, are to pay her, and their, own costs of the proceedings. (c) The Exhibits should be dealt with in accordance with the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) (rule 31.16A and rule 33.10), and Practice Note SC Gen 18 (Para 26) following the determination of the costs of the proceedings. Catchwords: SUCCESSION - FAMILY PROVISION - The Plaintiff, a daughter of the deceased, applies for a family provision order under Chapter 3 of the Succession Act 2006 - The Defendants also children of the deceased - Deceased left Will in which no provision made for the Plaintiff - Explanation given - 20 years of no contact between Plaintiff and the deceased - Small estate - Estate distributed - Proceedings not commenced within time - Whether sufficient cause shown - Whether adequate and proper provision not made in Will of the deceased for the Plaintiff and, if so, the nature and quantum of the provision to be made - Whether property to be designated as notional estate - Whether "special circumstances" Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Family Provision Act 1982 (NSW) Practice Note SC Eq 7 Practice Note SC Gen 18 Succession Amendment (Family Provision) Act 2008 (NSW) Succession Act 1981 (QLD) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Testator's Family Maintenance and Guardianship of Infants Act 1916 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Alexander v Jansson [2010] NSWCA 176 Allardice v Allardice; In re Allardice (1910) 29 NZLR 959 Allen (Deceased); Allen v Manchester [1922] NZLR 218 Andre v Perpetual Trustees WA Ltd as Executor of the Will of Barbara Helen Owen Stewart [2009] WASCA 14 Andrew v Andrew [2011] NSWSC 115 Andrew v Andrew [2012] NSWCA 308; (2012) 81 NSWLR 656 Aubrey v Kain [2014] NSWSC 15 Barna v Barna [2008] NSWSC 1402 Bartlett v Coomber [2008] NSWCA 100 Baychek v Baychek [2010] NSWSC 987 Blyth v Spencer; Spencer v Neville [2005] NSWSC 653 Bondelmonte v Blanckensee [1989] WAR 305 Bosch v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd [1938] AC 463 Brisbane South Regional Health Authority v Taylor (1996) 186 CLR 541 Buckland, Deceased, Re [1966] VR 404 Buggle v Buggle [2012] NSWSC 1009 Bull, Re [2006] VSC 113 Burke v Burke [2014] NSWSC 1015 Butcher v Craig [2009] WASC 164 Butler v Morris; Butler (bht NSW Trustee & Guardian) v Morris [2012] NSWSC 748, Campbell v Chabert-McKay McKay [2010] NSWSC 859 Cameron v Cameron [2009] SASC 27 Carstrom v Boesen [2004] NSWSC 1109 Cetojevic v Cetojevic [2007] NSWCA 33 Charnock v Handley [2011] NSWSC 1408 Christie v Manera [2006] WASC 287 Coates v National Trustees Executors and Agency Co. Ltd [1956] HCA 23; (1956) 95 CLR 494 Collicoat v McMillan [1999] 3 VR 803. Collins v McGain [2003] NSWCA 190 Coventry (Deceased), Re [1979] 3 All ER 815 Crossman v Riedel [2004] ACTSC 127 de Angelis v de Angelis [2003] VSC 432 Devereaux-Warnes v Hall (No 3) [2007] WASCA 235; (2007) 35 WAR 127 Diver v Neal [2009] NSWCA 54 Dobb v Hacket (1993) 10 WAR 532 Donaldson v Lawless [2013] NSWSC 861 Doshen v Pedisich [2013] NSWSC 1507 Dunne v Dunne [2013] NSWSC 1911 Dunne v The Nominal Defendant (1954) 71 WN (NSW) 87 Evans v Levy [2011] NSWCA 125 Flathaug v Weaver [2003] NZFLR 730 Foley v Ellis [2008] NSWSC 288 Ford v Simes [2009] NSWCA 351 Gardiner v Gardiner (Supreme Court (NSW), Santow J, 28 May 1998, unrep) Gardiner v Gardiner [2014] NSWSC 435 Gilbert, F B (Deceased), In re the Will of (1946) 46 SR (NSW) 318 Goldsmith v Goldsmith [2012] NSWSC 1486 Goodman v Windeyer [1980] HCA 31; (1980) 144 CLR 490 Goodsell v Wellington [2011] NSWSC 1232 Gorton v Parks (1989) 17 NSWLR 1 Grey v Harrison [1997] 2 VR 359 Hampson v Hampson [2010] NSWCA 359 Harrison v Harrison [2011] VSC 459 Hawkins v Prestage (1989) 1 WAR 37 Hughes v National Trustees Executors and Agency Co. of Australasia Ltd [1979] HCA 2; (1979) 143 CLR 134 Hunter v Hunter (1987) 8 NSWLR 573 Hyland v Burbidge [2000] NSWSC 12 John v John [2010] NSWSC 937 Kay v Archbold [2008] NSWSC 254 Kavalee v Burbidge; Hyland v Burbidge [1998] NSWSC 111; (1998) 43 NSWLR 422 Keep v Bourke [2012] NSWCA 64 Khreich v NSW Trustee & Guardian [2012] NSWSC 1299 Kleinig v Neal (No 2) [1981] 2 NSWLR 532 Lewis v Lewis [2001] NSWSC 321 Lathwell, as Executrix of the Estate of Gilbert Thorley Lathwell (Deceased) v Lathwell [2008] WASCA 256 MacGregor v MacGregor [2003] WASC 169 Madden-Smith v Madden (Estate of the late Doris Linda Madden) [2012] NSWSC 146 Marks v Marks [2003] WASCA 297 Marras, In the Estate of the late Anthony [2014] NSWSC 915 Mayfield v Lloyd-Williams [2004] NSWSC 419 McCosker v McCosker [1957] HCA 82; (1957) 97 CLR 566 McGrath v Eves [2005] NSWSC 1006 McKenzie v Topp [2004] VSC 90 Moore (bht the NSW Trustee & Guardian) v Randall [2012] NSWSC 184 Morris v Smoel [2014] VSC 32 Palaganio v Mankarios [2013] NSWSC 61 Palmer v Dolman; Dolman v Palmer [2005] NSWCA 361 Phillips v James [2014] NSWCA 4 Pogorelic v Banovich [2007] WASC 45, [62]; Butcher v Craig [2009] WASC 164 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 R (on the application of M) v Slough Borough Council [2008] UKHL 52; [2008] 1 WLR 1808 Salmon, Deceased, Re [1981] Ch 167 Sam Wardy v Gordon Salier; William Wardy v Gordon Salier; Hassiba Wardy v Estate of late Edmond Wadih Wardy, developer and Ch 3 of the Succession Act 2006 [2014] NSWSC 473 Samsley v Barnes [1990] NSWCA 161; (1991) DFC 95-100 Sergi v Sergi [2012] WASC 18 Singer v Berghouse [1994] HCA 40; (1994) 181 CLR 201 Slack v Rogan; Palffy v Rogan [2013] NSWSC 522 Slack-Smith v Slack-Smith [2010] NSWSC 625 Smith v Woodward (Supreme Court (NSW), Macready M, 9 September 1994, unrep) Stern v Sekers; Sekers v Sekers [2010] NSWSC 59 Szypica v O'Beirne [2013] NSWSC 297 Taylor v Farrugia [2009] NSWSC 801 Thomas v Pickering; Byrne v Pickering [2011] NSWSC 572 Thompson v Public Trustee of NSW [2010] NSWSC 1137 Tobin v Ezekiel [2012] NSWCA 285 Twomey v McDonald [2012] NSWSC 22 Vasconelos v Bonetig [2011] NSWSC 1029 Verzar v Verzar [2012] NSWSC 1380 Verzar v Verzar [2014] NSWCA 45 Vigolo v Bostin [2005] HCA 11; (2005) 221 CLR 191 Walker v Walker (Supreme Court (NSW), Young J, 17 May 1996, unrep) West v Mann [2013] NSWSC 1852 Wilcox v Wilcox [2012] NSWSC 1138 Williams v Aucutt [2000] 2 NZLR 479 Zannetides v Spence [2013] NSWSC 2032 Zirkler v McKinnon [2002] NSWSC 285 Texts Cited: Rosalind Atherton, 'The Concept of Moral Duty in the Law of Family Provision - a Gloss or Critical Understanding?' (1999) 5 Australian Journal of Legal History 5 J D Heydon and M J Leeming, Jacobs' Law of Trusts in Australia (7th ed, 2006, LexisNexis Butterworths) Macquarie Dictionary Oxford Dictionary Category: Principal judgment Parties: Helen Underwood (Plaintiff) Mary Genevieve Gaudron (first Defendant) Kathryn Terese Gaudron (second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Ms T Catanzariti (Plaintiff) Mr B Skinner (Defendants) Solicitors: Cranston McEachern Lawyers (Plaintiff) Licardy & Company (Defendants) File Number(s): 2013/326127