Morton v Mangan [2014] NSWSC 1731

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Morton v Mangan [2014] NSWSC 1731 Hearing dates: 19 November 2014 Decision date: 05 December 2014 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Hallen J Decision: Subject to an application to make an order for costs in different terms, the court: (i) Having found that the first Plaintiff is an eligible person and that the provision made for her in the Will of the deceased is not adequate for her proper maintenance or advancement in life, orders that she receive a lump sum of $60,000, to be paid from the fund held by the solicitors on behalf of the Defendants. (ii) Having found that the second Plaintiff is an eligible person and that the provision made for her in the Will of the deceased is not adequate for her proper maintenance or advancement in life, orders that she receive a lump sum of $90,000, to be paid from the fund held by the solicitors on behalf of the Defendants. (iii) Orders that no interest be paid on each lump sum if it is paid within 14 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 (NSW), on unpaid legacies, is to be paid from that date until the date of payment. (iv) Unless any party wishes to make further submissions on costs, the application for which should be made within 7 days, orders that the Plaintiffs' costs, calculated on the ordinary basis, and the Defendants' costs, calculated on the indemnity basis, be paid out of the fund held by the solicitors on behalf of the Defendants. (v) Grants liberty to any party to apply, in these proceedings, for consequential and ancillary orders for the purpose of, or with respect to, giving effect to, and implementing, the family provision order made in favour of each of the Plaintiffs. (vi) Orders that the Exhibits be dealt with in accordance with the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) and Practice Note No SC Gen 18. (vii) Directs that the Court Book be returned. Catchwords: SUCCESSION - FAMILY PROVISION - Two Plaintiffs, each an adult child of the deceased, apply for a family provision order under Chapter 3 of the Succession Act 2006 (NSW) - The first Defendant's husband, the brother of the deceased's second wife - Their children are sole beneficiaries - Deceased left Will in which no provision made for either Plaintiff - No explanation given in the Will - Lack of contact between each Plaintiff and the deceased for a number of years before his death - Small estate - Estate distributed to second and third Defendant - Defendants all agree that fund held by solicitors will meet any provision made for each Plaintiff - No dispute that property to be designated as notional estate if necessary - Agreement of parties to treat property as actual estate for the purposes of the hearing - Whether adequate and proper provision not made in Will of the deceased for each Plaintiff and, if so, the nature and quantum of the provision to be made Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Family Provision Act 1982 (NSW) Matrimonial Causes Act 1959 (NSW) Practice Note No SC Gen 18 Practice Note SC Eq 7 Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Succession Amendment (Family Provision) Act 2008 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Akkerman v Ewins [2003] NSWCA 190 Allardice v Allardice; In re Allardice (1910) 29 NZLR 959 Allen (Deceased), In re; Allen v Manchester [1922] NZLR 218 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 Boettcher v Driscoll [2014] SASC 86 Bondelmonte v Blanckensee [1989] WAR 305 Bosch v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd [1938] AC 463 Buckland Deceased, Re [1966] VR 404 Bull, Re; Bentley v Brennan [2006] VSC 113 Butcher v Craig [2009] WASC 164 Chapple v Wilcox [2014] NSWCA 392 Christie v Manera [2006] WASC 287 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 Dennis (Deceased), Re [1981] 2 All ER 140 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 Edgar v Public Trustee for the Northern Territory [2011] NTSC 5 Flathaug v Weaver [2003] NZFLR 730 Foley v Ellis [2008] NSWSC 288 Gardiner v Gardiner (Supreme Court (NSW) Santow J, 28 May 1998, unrep) Gardiner v Gardiner [2014] NSWSC 435 Golosky v Golosky (New South Wales Court of Appeal, 8 September 1993, unrep) 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 Hawkins v Prestage (1989) 1 WAR 37 Heyward v Fisher (New South Wales Court of Appeal, 26 April 1985, unrep) Hughes v National Trustees Executors and Agency Co. of Australasia Ltd [1979] HCA 2; (1979) 143 CLR 134 Hyland v Burbidge [2000] NSWSC 12 Kay v Archbold [2008] NSWSC 254 Kleinig v Neal (No 2) [1981] 2 NSWLR 532 Litchfield v Smith & Tingate [2010] VSC 466 MacGregor v MacGregor [2003] WASC 169 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 Morris v Smoel [2014] VSC 32 Palaganio v Mankarios [2013] NSWSC 61 Phillips v James [2014] NSWCA 4 Pogorelic v Banovich [2007] WASC 45 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 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 Savic v Kim [2010] NSWSC 1401 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 Stern v Sekers; Sekers v Sekers [2010] NSWSC 59 Szypica v O'Beirne [2013] NSWSC 297 Taylor v Farrugia [2009] NSWSC 801 Tobin v Ezekiel [2012] NSWCA 285 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), 17 May 1996, Young J, unrep) West v Mann [2013] NSWSC 1852 Wilcox v Wilcox [2012] NSWSC 1138 Williams v Aucutt [2000] 2 NZLR 479 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 L G Handler and R Neal, Mason and Handler's Succession Law and Practice New South Wales (1985, LexisNexis Butterworths) J D Heydon and M J Leeming, Jacobs' Law of Trusts in Australia (7th ed, 2006, LexisNexis Butterworths) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Tracy Lyn Morton (first Plaintiff) Michelle Ann Burrell (second Plaintiff) Elaine Mary Mangan (first Defendant) Samantha Jane Mangan (second Defendant) Robert Alan Mangan (third Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr J Brown (Plaintiffs) Mr G Rich (Defendants) Solicitors: Slater & Gordon Lawyers (Plaintiffs) Peninsula Law (Defendants) File Number(s): 2014/40000