Morier v Liem [2016] NSWSC 582

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Morier v Liem [2016] NSWSC 582 Hearing dates: 13, 14 April 2016 Date of orders: 10 May 2016 Decision date: 10 May 2016 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Hallen J Decision: Stand the proceedings over for the making of orders in favour of the Plaintiff and which reflect the reasons for judgment and to enable the Defendant to precisely identify the bank account holding the amount sufficient to satisfy the order for provision to be made in favour of the Plaintiff Catchwords: PRACTICE & PROCEDURE – Self-represented Defendant at the hearing – Application by Defendant to have non-lawyer, who was a witness, to represent her at the hearing or appear as McKenzie friend – Duty of the Court to ensure fair hearing to both parties – Application refused.

SUCCESSION – FAMILY PROVISION – Eligibility of Plaintiff as a child of the deceased disputed based on statement made by the deceased – Presumptions to be applied – whether rebutted - Court not satisfied presumptions rebutted – Claim for family provision order under Part 3.2 of the Succession Act 2006 (NSW) – The Defendant, the executor of the Will of the deceased and wife of the deceased at the date of death – Probate granted – Defendant the sole beneficiary named in Will – Actual estate consisting of small amount of cash – Notional estate said to be deceased's interest as joint tenant in real estate and in joint bank accounts held with Defendant – Jointly held property transmitted to the Defendant – Order sought designating deceased's interest in jointly held property as notional estate – Whether adequate and proper provision not made in Will of the deceased for the Plaintiff – Whether order designating property as notional estate should be made – Nature and quantum of provision, if any, that ought to be made for the Plaintiff. Legislation Cited: Births Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1995 (NSW) Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Family Provision Act 1982 (NSW) Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW) Property (Relationships) Act 1984 (NSW) Status of Children Act 1996 (NSW) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Andrew v Andrew [2012] NSWCA 308; (2012) 81 NSWLR 656 Bartlett v Coomber [2008] NSWCA 100 Bladwell v Davis [2004] NSWCA 170 Boettcher v Driscoll [2014] SASC 86; (2014) 119 SASR 523 Bondelmonte v Blanckensee [1989] WAR 305 Bosch v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd [1938] AC 463 Bowditch v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2012] NSWSC 275 Briginshaw v Briginshaw [1938] HCA 34; 60 CLR 336 Butcher v Craig [2009] WASC 164 Carstrom v Boesen [2004] NSWSC 1109 Cetojevic v Cetojevic [2006] NSWSC 431 Chandler v Coulson [2015] NSWSC 172 Chapple v Wilcox [2014] NSWCA 392; (2014) 87 NSWLR 646 Christie v Manera [2006] WASC 287 Clifford v Mayr [2010] NSWCA 6 Cocks v Juncken [1947] HCA 16; (1947) 74 CLR 277 Collicoat v McMillan [1999] 3 VR 803 Crossman v Riedel [2004] ACTSC 127 de Angelis v de Angelis [2003] VSC 432 Devereaux-Warnes v Hall (No 3) [2007] WASCA 235; (2007) 35 WAR 127 Flathaug v Weaver [2003] NZFLR 730 Foley v Ellis [2008] NSWCA 288 Galt v Compagnon (NSWSC, 24 February, 1998, unrep) Gardiner v Gardiner (Supreme Court (NSW), Santow J, 28 May 1998, unrep) 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 Hamod v State of New South Wales [2011] NSWCA 375 Hawkins v Prestage (1989) 1 WAR 37 Henry v Hancock [2016] NSWSC 71 Hughes v National Trustees Executors and Agency Co of Australasia Ltd [1979] HCA 2; (1979) 143 CLR 134 Hull v Smith [2012] NSWCA 183 Hunter v Hunter (1987) 8 NSWLR 573 Hyland v Burbidge [2000] NSWSC 12 In re Allardice; Allardice v Allardice (1910) 29 NZLR 959 In re Allen (Deceased); Allen v Manchester [1922] NZLR 218 In the Estate of Puckridge, Deceased (1978) 20 SASR 72 Kay v Archbold [2008] NSWSC 254 Kembrey v Cuskelly [2008] NSWSC 262 Kleinig v Neal (No 2) [1981] 2 NSWLR 532 Kohari v Snow [2013] NSWSC 452 MacGregor v MacGregor [2003] WASC 169 Magill v Magill [2006] HCA 51; (2006) 226 CLR 551 Marks v Marks [2003] WASCA 297 Marshall v Carruthers [2002] NSWCA 47 Mayfield v Lloyd-Williams [2004] NSWSC 419 McCosker v McCosker [1957] HCA 82; (1957) 97 CLR 566 McGrath v Eves [2005] NSWSC 1006 McKenzie v McKenzie [1971] P 33 McKenzie v Topp [2004] VSC 90 Milillo v Konnecke [2009] NSWCA 109 NSW Trustee & Guardian v Hull [2011] NSWSC 1106 Palagiano v Mankarios [2011] NSWSC 61 Phillips v James [2014] NSWCA 4; (2014) 85 NSWLR 619 Permanent Trustee Co Ltd v Fraser (1995) 36 NSWLR 24 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 A (A Minor) (Paternity: Refusal of Blood Test) [1994] 2 FLR 463 Re Buckland, Deceased [1966] VR 404 Re O'Neil (dec'd) [1972] VR 327 Re Pennington (decd) (No 2) [1978] VR 617 Re the Will of Sitch (deceased); Gillies v Executors of the Will of Sitch [2005] VSC 308 Romascu v Manolache (No 2) [2012] NSWSC 87 Sadiq v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2015] NSWSC 716 Sadiq v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2016] NSWSCA 62 Salmon v Osmond [2015] NSWCA 42 Sellers v Scrivenger [2010] VSC 320 Singer v Berghouse [1994] HCA 40; (1994) 181 CLR 201 Slack v Rogan; Palffy v Rogan [2013] NSWSC 522; (2013) 85 NSWLR 253 Smith v Johnson [2015] NSWCA 297 Stern v Sekers; Sekers v Sekers [2010] NSWSC 59 Stewart v Stewart [2015] QSC 238 Sung v Malaxos [2015] NSWSC 186 Szypica v O'Beirne [2013] NSWSC 297 Taylor v Farrugia [2009] NSWSC 801 Tobin v Ezekiel [2012] NSWCA 285; (2012) 83 NSWLR 757 Underwood v Gaudron [2015] NSWCA 269 Verzar v Verzar [2012] NSWSC 1380 Verzar v Verzar [2014] NSWCA 45 Vigolo v Bostin [2005] HCA 11; (2005) 221 CLR 191 Vincent v Lewis [2006] NZFLR 812 Walker v Walker (Supreme Court (NSW), Young J, 17 May 1996, unrep) Wilcox v Wilcox [2012] NSWSC 1138 Texts Cited: 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 197 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Helen Morier (Plantiff) Hian Nio Liem (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr M Thompson (Plaintiff)