Sadiq v NSW Trustee & Guardian [2015] NSWSC 716

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Sadiq v NSW Trustee & Guardian [2015] NSWSC 716 Hearing dates: 28, 29, 30 April 2015 Decision date: 09 June 2015 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Hallen J Decision: The Court orders: The Plaintiff's Statement of Claim is dismissed. The Plaintiff is to pay the Defendant's costs of the proceedings. The interlocutory injunction granted by Robb J on 24 July 2014 restraining the Defendant from selling the Paddington property is hereby dissolved. The Exhibits should be dealt with in accordance with the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW). Catchwords: PRACTICE & PROCEDURE – Self-represented Plaintiff at the hearing – On occasions prior to hearing, Plaintiff had pro bono assistance from counsel – Plaintiff terminated pro bono assistance shortly prior to hearing – Refuses offer of pro bono assistance at the hearing – Responsibility of the court to ensure fair hearing.

PROBATE – Intestacy – Deceased died intestate in June 2013 – Plaintiff asserts he was a party to a domestic partnership with the intestate immediately before the intestate's death in that he was in a de facto relationship which was in existence for continuous period of 2 years before her death and entitled under Succession Act 2006 (NSW), s 113, to the statutory legacy for spouse – Defendant denies the relationship.

SUCCESSION – Claim for family provision order – Alternative claim for family provision – Reliance on different categories of eligibility – Defendant denies Plaintiff an eligible person within any category of eligibility but in the event that the court finds eligibility then factors warranting the making of the Plaintiff's application not disputed. In that event, Defendants says provision out of the estate should be by way of modest lump sum. Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW) NSW Law Reform Commission, Uniform Succession Laws: Intestacy (April 2007) Property (Relationships) Act 1984 (NSW) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Alexander v Jansson [2010] NSWCA 176 Amaca Pty Ltd v Novek [2009] NSWCA 50 Andrew v Andrew [2012] NSWCA 308; (2012) 81 NSWLR 656 Armagas Ltd v Mundogas S.A. (The "Ocean Frost") [1985] 1 Lloyd's Rep 1 Ashton v Pratt (No. 2) [2012] NSWSC 3 Aubrey v Kain [2014] NSWSC 15 Bar-Mordecai v Hillston [2004] NSWCA 65 Bartlett v Coomber [2008] NSWCA 100 Benney v Jones (Supreme Court (NSW), Young J, 13 February 1990, unrep) Boettcher v Driscoll [2014] SASC 86; (2014) 119 SASR 523 Bosch v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd [1938] AC 463 Bowditch v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2012] NSWSC 275 Brown v Faggoter [1998] NSWCA 44 Butcher v Craig [2009] WASC 164 Chandler v Coulson [2015] NSWSC 172 Chapple v Wilcox [2014] NSWCA 392 Churton v Christian [1988] NSWCA 23; (1988) 13 NSWLR 241 Cicek v Estate of late Solomon [2014] NSWCA 278 Collins v McGain [2003] NSWCA 190 Cormick v Salmon [1984] HCA 79; (1984) 156 CLR 170 Dakin v Sansbury [2010] FMCAfam 628 de Angelis v de Angelis [2003] VSC 432 Devereaux-Warnes v Hall (No 3) [2007] WASCA 235; (2007) 35 WAR 127 Dion v Rieser [2010] NSWSC 50 Diver v Neal [2009] NSWCA 54 Evans v Levy [2011] NSWCA 125 Foley v Ellis [2008] NSWCA 288 Gardiner v Gardiner (Supreme Court (NSW), Santow J, 28 May 1998, unrep) Gardiner v Gardiner [2014] NSWSC 435 Goodman v Windeyer [1980] HCA 31; (1980) 144 CLR 490 Gorton v Parks (1989) 17 NSWLR 1 Grey v Harrison [1997] 2 VR 359 Hayes v Marquis [2008] NSWCA 10 Hyland v Burbidge [2000] NSWSC 12 In re Allardice; Allardice v Allardice (1910) 29 NZLR 959 In the Estate of the late Anthony Marras [2014] NSWSC 915 In the Estate of Puckridge, Deceased (1978) 20 SASR 72 Ingamells v Western Australian Trustees Ltd (Supreme Court (WA), 5 March 1993, unrep) Kay v Archbold [2008] NSWSC 254 Kingsland v McIndoe [1989] VR 273 Kleinig v Neal (No 2) [1981] 2 NSWLR 532 Kossert v Margaret Gerda Ruggi As Executor of the Will of Peter Korps (No 2) [2012] WASC 191 Light v Anderson (1992) DFC 95-120 Lynam v Director General of Social Security (1983) 52 ALR 128 MacPherson v R [1981] HCA 46; (1981) 147 CLR 512 Markulin v Drew (Supreme Court (NSW), Young J, 12 August 1993, unrep) Mayfield v Lloyd-Williams [2004] NSWSC 419 McCosker v McCosker [1957] HCA 82; (1957) 97 CLR 566 McKenzie v Baddeley [1991] NSWCA 197 Moby v Schulter [2010] FamCA 748 Moloney v Goodwin (Supreme Court (NSW), Needham J, 1 August 1989, unrep) Munro v Lake (Supreme Court (NSW), McLelland J, 8 February 1991, unrep) Palagiano v Mankarios [2011] NSWSC 61 Penfold v Perpetual Trustee [2002] NSWSC 648 Petersen v Gregory; Estate Glenn Alfred Petersen [2007] NSWSC 8 Petrohilos v Hunter (1991) 25 NSWLR 343 Phillips v James [2014] NSWCA 4; (2014) 85 NSWLR 619 Piras v Egan [2008] NSWCA 59 Pogorelic v Banovich [2007] WASC 45 Poletti v Jones [2015] NSWCA 107 Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith v Scales [1962] HCA 19; (1962) 107 CLR 9 Porthouse v Bridge [2007] NSWSC 686 R (on the application of M) v Slough Borough Council [2008] UKHL 52; [2008] 1 WLR 1808 Rajski v Scitec Corporation Pty Ltd (Court of Appeal (NSW), 16 June 1986, unrep) Re Dennis (Deceased) [1981] 2 All ER 140 Re Estate of Bridges (1975) 12 SASR 1 Re Estate of Sigg (dec'd) [2009] VSC 47 Re Fulop Deceased (1987) 8 NSWLR 679 Richardson v Armistead [2000] VSC 551 Robson v Quijarro [2009] NSWCA 365 Romascu v Manolache (No 2) [2012] NSWSC 87 Salmon v Osmond [2015] NSWCA 42 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 Scragg v Scott [2006] NZFLR 1076 Sharpless v McKibbin [2007] NSWSC 1498 Shi v ABI-K Pty Ltd [2014] NSWCA 293 Simonis v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd (1987) 21 NSWLR 677 Sinclair & Whittaker [2013] FamCAFC 129; (2013) FLC 93-550 Singer v Berghouse [1994] HCA 40; (1994) 181 CLR 201 Skinner v Frappell [2008] NSWCA 296 Slack v Rogan; Palffy v Rogan [2013] NSWSC 522; (2013) 85 NSWLR 253 Stern v Sekers; Sekers v Sekers [2010] NSWSC 59 Sullman v Sullman [2002] NSWSC 169 Sung v Malaxos [2015] NSWSC 186 Szypica v O'Beirne [2013] NSWSC 297 Tomasevic v Travaglini [2007] VSC 337; (2007) 17 VR 100 Thomas v The Times Book Co [1966] 2 All ER 241; [1966] 1 WLR 911 Tobin v Ezekiel [2012] NSWCA 285; (2012) 83 NSWLR 757 Verzar v Verzar [2012] NSWSC 1380 Verzar v Verzar [2014] NSWCA 45 Vigolo v Bostin [2005] HCA 11; (2005) 221 CLR 191 Wagstaff v Wagstaff (Supreme Court (NSW), 6 November 1991, unrep) Walker v Walker (Supreme Court (NSW), Young J, 17 May 1996, unrep) Warner v Hung, in the matter of Bellpac Pty Ltd (Receivers and Managers Appointed) (In Liquidation) (No 2) [2011] FCA 1123; (2011) 297 ALR 56 Webb v Ryan [2012] VSC 377 West v Mann [2013] NSWSC 1852 Whisprun Pty Ltd v Dixon [2003] HCA 48; (2003) 77 ALJR 1598 Williams v Aucutt [2000] 2 NZLR 479 Williams v Legg (Court of Appeal (NSW), 16 March 1993, unrep) Ye v Fung [2006] NSWSC 243 Zahra v Francica [2009] NSWSC 1206Click here to enter text. Texts Cited: J D Heydon and M J Leeming, Jacobs' Law of Trusts in Australia (7th ed, 2006, LexisNexis Butterworths) The Macquarie Dictionary 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 The Second Reading Speech of the Property (Relationships) Legislation Amendment Bill (Legislative Assembly, (Hansard) 26 May 1999) Hon Justice Peter McClellan "Who Is Telling the Truth? Psychology, Common Sense and the Law" (2006) 80 ALJ 655 The Oxford English Dictionary Click here to enter text. Category: Principal judgment Parties: Waleed Sadiq (Plaintiff) NSW Trustee & Guardian (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr D Stewart (Defendant)