Estate Cockell; Cole v Paisley [2016] NSWSC 349

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Estate Cockell; Cole v Paisley [2016] NSWSC 349 Hearing dates: 22, 23 and 24 March 2016 Date of orders: 04 April 2016 Decision date: 04 April 2016 Jurisdiction: Equity - Probate List Before: Lindsay J Decision: Order that a grant of probate in common form be confirmed by a grant in solemn form to the recipient of the initial grant. Catchwords: SUCCESSION – Wills, probate and administration – Making a will – Testamentary capacity – Soundness of mind, memory and understanding – Knowledge and approval – Suspicious circumstances rule – History of Mental Illness – Will valid

SUCCESSION – Wills, probate and administration – Distinction between grant in common form and grant in solemn form – Application for revocation of grant – Principles applicable – Onus of proof – Case management, substance over form – Confirmation of grant in common form as solemn form grant – Practice – Available forms of orders Legislation Cited: Guardianship Act 1987 NSW Succession Act 2006 NSW Trustee Act 1925 NSW Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 NSW Cases Cited: Banks v Goodfellow (1870) LR 5QB 549 at 565 Barry v Butlin (1838) 2 Moo PC 480; 12 ER 1089 Bates v Messner (1967) 67 SR (NSW) 187 at 189 and 191-192 Boyce v Bunce [2015] NSWSC 1924 at [45]-[46] Calverley v Green (1984) 155 CLR 242 at 264 Estate Kouvakas [2014] NSWSC 786 at [3]; [203]-[210]; ] [218-[227], [249]; [260]; [284]-[291]; and [292]-[321] Estate Wight; Wight v Robinson [2013] NSWSC 1229 at [18]-[19] In the goods of William Loveday [1900] P 154 at 156 Nock v Austin (1918) 25 CLR 519 at 528 Perpetual Trustee Company Limited v Fairlie-Cunninghame (1993) 32 NSWLR 377 Re Eger; Heilprin v Eger (4 February 1985) BC 8500997 at 72-74 Re Estate of Wai Fun Chan, deceased [2015] NSWSC 1107 at [18]-[24] Re Hodges; Shorter v Hodges (1988) 14 NSWLR 698 at 704E-707G Richardson v Reardon [2006] NSWSC 1252 at [19]-[21] Stanley v Stanley [2000] NSWSC 1133 at [11] and [33]-[34] Tobin v Ezekiel (2012) 83 NSWLR 757 Vacuum Oil Pty Co Limited v Stockdale (1942) 42 SR (NSW) 239 at 243-244 Williamson v Spelleken [1977] Qd R 152 Woodhead v Perpetual Trustee Co. Limited (1987) 11 NSWLR 267 Woodley-Page v Symons (1987) 217 ALR 25 at 35 Texts Cited: Butterworths' Succession Law and Practice (NSW) case number [13, 001] Category: Principal judgment Parties: Plaintiff: Nona Cole Defendant: Douglas Robert Paisley (in his capacity as Executor of the Will of the late William George Cockell) Representation: Counsel: Plaintiff: M Gorrick Defendant: JE Richards