Estate El Chami; Habib v El Chami [2016] NSWSC 1208

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Estate El Chami; Habib v El Chami [2016] NSWSC 1208 Hearing dates: 9, 10, 11 and 12 February 2016 Date of orders: 31 August 2016 Decision date: 31 August 2016 Jurisdiction: Equity - Probate List Before: Lindsay J Decision: A 1992 will admitted to probate in solemn form, with a grant of administration in favour of nieces of the deceased, passing over a will made by the deceased, in favour of a neighbour, in 2014, shortly before his death. Catchwords: SUCCESSION – Making of a will – Testamentary capacity – Soundness of mind, memory and understanding – Delusions and lack of understanding of will Legislation Cited: Succession Act 2006 NSW Cases Cited: Bailey v Bailey (1924) 34 CLR 558 Banks v Goodfellow (1870) LR 5 QB 549 Barry v Butlin ( 1838) 2 Moo PC 480; 12 ER 1089 Bull v Fulton (1942) 66 CLR 295 King v Hudson [2009] NSWSC 1013 Nock v Austin (1918) 25 CLR 519 Petrovski v Nasev; Estate of Janakievska [2011] NSWSC 1275 Re Griffith; Easter v Griffith (1995) 217 ALR 284 Re Hodges (1988) 14 NSWLR 698 Shorter v Hodges (1988) 14 NSWLR 698 Tipper v Moore (1911) 13 CLR 248 Tobin v Ezekiel (2012) 83 NSWLR 757 Wechsler v Du Maurier [2002] NSWCA 13 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 Worth v Clasohm (1952) 86 CLR 439 Texts Cited: G.E. Dal Pont and KF Mackie, The Law of Succession (LexisNexis, Australia, 2013) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Plaintiff: Elias Habib First Defendants: Sonya El Chami and Samia Barbara Rozman in their capacity as legal personal representatives of the late Salim Yacoub El Chami Second Defendant: Deeb Aquabani in his capacity as administrator of the estate of the late Elias Yacoub El Chami Representation: Counsel: Plaintiff: K Morrissey and L Clark First Defendants: B Regener