The Estate of Stanislaw Budniak; NSW Trustee & Guardian v Budniak No 2 [2015] NSWSC 1317

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: The Estate of Stanislaw Budniak; NSW Trustee & Guardian v Budniak No 2 [2015] NSWSC 1317 Hearing dates: 13 August 2015 Decision date: 10 September 2015 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Hallen J Decision: See Paragraphs 85 and 86 Catchwords: COSTS – Two proceedings heard together – Probate and family provision proceedings – The Plaintiff, the executor named in the duly executed Will of the deceased in the Probate proceedings was unsuccessful in propounding that Will – Agreement at hearing that if duly executed Will not the subject of a grant, Probate in solemn form of an informal Will be granted to the Defendant/Cross-Claimant – Issue whether costs of the Plaintiff, calculated on the indemnity basis, rather than on the ordinary basis of the Probate proceedings, be paid out of the estate of the deceased – No dispute that Defendant/Cross-Claimant should receive his costs, calculated on the indemnity basis, out of the estate of the deceased

In the family provision proceedings, the Plaintiff in the Probate proceedings named as the Defendant in order to defend the proceedings – Proceedings dismissed as a result of decision in Probate proceedings – Whether Defendant should receive any costs of the family provision proceedings – No dispute that the Plaintiffs in the family provision proceedings should receive their costs as part of the costs of the Defendant/Cross-Claimant in the Probate proceedings – Affidavits read in Probate proceedings

ASSESSMENT OF COSTS – Because Plaintiff unsuccessful in Probate proceedings it no longer relevantly interested in quantum of Defendant/Cross-Claimant's costs – One of the beneficiaries in informal Will seeks order that costs of the Defendant/Cross-Claimant in both the Probate proceedings and the costs of the Plaintiffs in the family provision proceedings be assessed Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014 (NSW) NSW Trustee & Guardian Act 2009 (NSW) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Supreme Court Rules 1970 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Bool v Bool [1941] St R Qd 26 Bullabidgee Pty Ltd v McCleary (No 2) [2011] NSWCA 343 Di Carlo v Dubois [2002] QCA 225 Estate of Allwood v Benjafield [2009] NSWSC 1383 Gonzales v Claridades [2003] NSWSC 508; (2003) 58 NSWLR 188 Gray v Richards [No 2] [2014] HCA 47 Howards Storage World Pty Ltd v Haviv Holdings Pty Ltd [2010] FCAFC 5; (2010) 182 FCR 84 Mitchell v Gard (1863) 164 ER 1280 Oasis Hotel Ltd v Zurich Insurance Company (1981) 28 BCLR 230 O'Brien v McCormick [2005] NSWSC 619 Public Trustee v Hammerman; Estate of Ida Hammerman (Supreme Court (NSW), Hodgson J, 23 February 1996, unrep) Kallinicos v Hunt (2005) 64 NSWLR 561 Luxmore Pty Ltd v Hydedale Pty Ltd [2008] VSCA 212; (2008) 20 VR 481 Ponder v Burmeister [1910] SA Law Rp 4; [1909] SALR 62 QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited v Hotchin [2013] NSWSC 315 Re Estate Late Hazel Ruby Grounds; Page v Sedawie [2005] NSWSC 1311 Re Plant [1926] P 139 Re Wilcox; Ex parte Venture Industries Pty Ltd (No 2) (1996) 72 FCR 151 Rennie v Massie (1866) LR 1 P & D 118 Sydney Markets Credit Services Co-operative Ltd v Taylor (No. 3) [2015] NSWSC 1236 The Estate of Stanislaw Budniak; NSW Trustee & Guardian v Budniak [2015] NSWSC 934 Category: Costs Parties: NSW Trustee & Guardian (Plaintiff in 2011/228232 and Defendant in 2012/159538)