Estate of George Aeneas McDonald; Howard v The Sydney Children’s Hospital Network (Randwick & Westmead) & Ors [2015] NSWSC 1610

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Estate of George Aeneas McDonald; Howard v The Sydney Children's Hospital Network (Randwick & Westmead) & Ors [2015] NSWSC 1610 Hearing dates: 1 July 2015 Decision date: 30 October 2015 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: White J Decision: Refer to para [77] of judgment. Catchwords: WILLS, PROBATE AND ADMINISTRATION – suspicious circumstances – knowledge and approval – will prepared by person to be executor under the will, who was the husband of the person taking the residue of the estate under the will – will involved significant departure from prior testamentary dispositions – whether person propounding the will must prove that the testator in fact had regard to claims on their testamentary bounty, and that they in fact considered their prior testamentary dispositions – held, granting probate of the will, that, at least where there is no evidence of a failing mind, knowledge and approval does not require proof that the testator actually considered claims on their bounty or that they actually considered their prior testamentary dispositions Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Cases Cited: Atter v Atkinson (1869) LR 1 P & D 665 Banks v Goodfellow (1870) 5 LR QB 549 Barry v Butlin (1838) 2 Moo PC 480 Billinghurst v Vickers (1810) 1 Phill Ecc 187; 161 ER 956 Ingram v Wyatt (1828) 1 Hagg Ecc 384; 162 ER 621 Dickman v Holley [2013] NSWSC 18 Estate of Stanley William Church [2012] NSWSC 1489 Fuller v Strum [2001] EWCA Civ 1879; [2002] 1 WLR 1097 Fulton v Andrew (1875) LR 7 HL 448 Gibson v Jeyes (1801) 6 Ves Jun 266; 31 ER 1044 Gill v Woodall [2010] EWCA Civ 1430; [2011] Ch 380 Gray v Hart; Estate of Harris (No 2) [2012] NSWSC 1562; (2012) 10 ASTLR 379 Harwood v Baker (1840) 3 Moo PC 282; 13 ER 117 Hoff v Atherton [2004] EWCA Civ 1554; [2005] WTLR 99 In the Estate of Osment [1914] P 129 King v Hudson [2009] NSWSC 1013 McKinnon v Voigt [1998] 3 VR 543 Nock v Austin (1918) 25 CLR 519 Norris v Tuppen [1999] VSC 228 Plunkett v Bull (1915) 19 CLR 544 Re Estate of Hodges (dec'd); Shorter v Hodges (1988) 14 NSWLR 698 Read v Carmody (New South Wales Court of Appeal, 23 July 1998, unreported, BC9803374) Simon v Byford [2014] EWCA Civ 280; [2014] WTLR 1097 Tobin v Ezekiel [2012] NSWCA 285; (2012) 83 NSWLR 757 Tyrell v Painton [1894] P 151 Veall v Veall [2015] VSCA 60 Vernon v Watson [2002] NSWSC 600 Wintle v Nye [1959] 1 WLR 284 Category: Principal judgment Parties: David Howard (Plaintiff) The Sydney Children's Hospital Network (Randwick & Westmead) (Incorporating the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children) trading as The Children's Hospital at Westmead (1st Defendant) World Vision Australia (2nd Defendant) The Presbyterian Church of Australia in the State of New South Wales (3rd Defendant) Lisa Gai Howard (4th Defendant) Representation: Counsel: M S Willmott SC with F F F Salama (Plaintiff) G O Blake SC (1st and 2nd Defendants)