Grover v NSW Trustee & Guardian [2015] NSWSC 1048

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Grover v NSW Trustee & Guardian [2015] NSWSC 1048 Hearing dates: 20 and 21 July 2015 Decision date: 04 August 2015 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Hallen J Decision: The orders of the court are that: (i) Sufficient cause having been shown, the time for the making of the Plaintiff's application be extended to 15 July 2013, the date of the filing of the Summons. (ii) Having found that the Plaintiff is an eligible person; that there are factors which warrant the making of his application; and that the provision made for him in the Will of the deceased is inadequate for his proper maintenance or advancement in life, he is to receive a lump sum of $225,000 out of the estate of the deceased. (iii) The burden of the provision made for the Plaintiff, should be borne out of the share of the residuary estate of the deceased passing to Donna Marea Costigan; and to the extent that it is insufficient, by the balance of the residuary estate. (iv) No interest is to be paid on the lump sum payable to the Plaintiff, if that lump sum is paid within 14 days of the making of these orders; otherwise, interest calculated at the rate prescribed by s 84A(3) Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW), on unpaid legacies, is to be paid from that date until the date of payment. (v) Unless an application to vary this costs order is made within 7 days of the date of handing down these reasons for judgment, the costs of the Plaintiff, calculated on the ordinary basis; the costs of Donna Marea Costigan, for the period that she was a party between 21 February 2014 and 5 December 2014, calculated on the ordinary basis; and the costs of the Defendant, calculated on the indemnity basis, shall be paid out of the residuary estate of the deceased. (vi) Orders that the Exhibits should be dealt with in accordance with the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW). Catchwords: SUCCESSION – FAMILY PROVISION – The Plaintiff, a grandchild of the deceased applies for a family provision order under Part 3.2 of the Succession Act 2006 (NSW) – The Defendant, the executor of the Will of the deceased, to whom Probate was granted – Extension of time for making Plaintiff's application required – Dispute that Plaintiff is an eligible person – Dependency in issue – Whether there are factors which warrant the making of his application – Whether adequate and proper provision not made in Will of the deceased for the Plaintiff – Nature and quantum of provision to be made for the Plaintiff – How burden of the provision is to be borne Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Family Provision Act 1982 (NSW) Life Insurance Act 1995 (Cth) 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: Aafjes v Kearney [1976] HCA 5, (1976) 180 CLR 199 Alexander v Jansson [2010] NSWCA 176 Allardice, In re, Allardice v Allardice (1909) 29 NZLR 959 Amaca Pty Ltd v Novek [2009] NSWCA 50 Andrew v Andrew [2012] NSWCA 308; (2012) 81 NSWLR 656 Aubrey v Kain [2014] NSWSC 15 Bartlett v Coomber [2008] NSWCA 100 Bayssari v Bazouni [2014] NSWSC 910 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 Burke v Burke [2015] NSWCA 195 Butcher v Craig [2009] WASC 164 Butler v Morris; Butler (bht NSW Trustee & Guardian) v Morris [2012] NSWSC 748 Challenger Life Company Ltd v Estate of the late Robert John Real [2014] FCA 1325 Chapple v Wilcox [2014] NSWCA 392; (2014) NSWLR 646 Churton v Christian (1988) 13 NSWLR 241 Collins v McGain [2003] NSWCA 190 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; (2009) 2 ASTLR 89 Doshen v Pedisich [2013] NSWSC 1507 Dunn v McCarthy [2010] NSWSC 675 Edgar v Public Trustee for the Northern Territory [2011] NTSC 5 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 Goodsell v Wellington [2011] NSWSC 1232 Gorton v Parks (1989) 17 NSWLR 1 Grey v Harrison [1997] 2 VR 359 Griffiths v Craigie [2014] NSWSC 1339 Hampson v Hampson [2010] NSWCA 359 Harrison v Harrison [2011] VSC 459 Hughes v National Trustees Executors and Agency Co of Australasia Ltd [1979] HCA 2; (1979) 143 CLR 134 Hyland v Burbidge [2000] NSWSC 12 In re Allardice; Allardice v Allardice (1910) 29 NZLR 959 In the Estate of Puckridge, Deceased (1978) 20 SASR 72 In the Estate of the late Anthony Marras [2014] NSWSC 915 Justyn Marcus Ng v Neville Mark Morgan; Selena Natanie Ng v Morgan; Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Neville Mark Morgan in his capacity as Administrator of the estate of the late Dell Smith [2014] NSWSC 536 Kauri Timber Co (Tas) Pty Ltd v Reeman [1973] HCA 8; (1973) 128 CLR 177 Kay v Archbold [2008] NSWSC 254 Kembrey v Cuskelly [2008] NSWSC 262 Kleinig v Neal (No 2) [1981] 2 NSWLR 532 McCosker v McCosker [1957] HCA 82; (1957) 97 CLR 566 McKenzie v Baddeley [1991] NSWCA 197 McKenzie v Topp [2004] VSC 90 Madden-Smith v Madden (Estate of the late Doris Linda Madden) [2012] NSWSC 146 Mayfield v Lloyd-Williams [2004] NSWSC 419 Middleton v Kiama District Hospital [1970] 3 NSWR 136 Moore v Randall [2012] NSWSC 184 Morrison v Carruthers [2010] NSWSC 430 Neale v Neale [2015] NSWCA 206 Nowak v Beska [2013] NSWSC 166 Palagiano v Mankarios [2011] NSWSC 61 Petrohilos v Hunter (1991) 25 NSWLR 343 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 R (on the application of M) v Slough Borough Council [2008] UKHL 52; [2008] 1 WLR 1808 Re Buckland Deceased [1966] VR 404 Re Dennis (Deceased) [1981] 2 All ER 140 Re Fulop, Deceased (1987) 8 NSWLR 679 Re Hilton [1997] 2 NZLR 734 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 Salmon v Osmond [2015] NSWCA 42 Sassoon v Rose [2013] NSWCA 220 Simonetto v Dick [2014] NTCA 4 Simons v Permanent Trustee Co Ltd: Estate D. Hakim [2005] NSWSC 223 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 Slack-Smith v Slack-Smith [2010] NSWSC 625 Sophron v The Nominal Defendant [1957] HCA 27; (1957) 96 CLR 469 Stern v Sekers; Sekers v Sekers [2010] NSWSC 59 Stott v Cook (1960) 33 ALJR 447 Szypica v O'Beirne [2013] NSWSC 297 Thomas v Pickering; Byrne v Pickering [2011] NSWSC 572 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 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 Worsley v Solomon [2008] NSWSC 444 Zannetides v Spence [2013] NSWSC 2032 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 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Shaun Stafford Grover (Plaintiff) NSW Trustee & Guardian (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr R Wilson SC (Plaintiff) Mr D Stewart (Defendant)