Meres v Meres [2017] NSWSC 285

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Meres v Meres [2017] NSWSC 285 Hearing dates: 28 February 2017 Date of orders: 28 March 2017 Decision date: 28 March 2017 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Hallen J Decision: Orders that the Plaintiff's Summons be dismissed. Orders that any argument as to costs of the proceedings, and how those costs are to be borne, be listed on a date to be arranged when these reasons are published. Catchwords: SUCCESSION – FAMILY PROVISION – The Plaintiff, an adult child of the deceased, makes a claim for a family provision order – No dispute as to the Plaintiff's eligibility as a child of the deceased – The Defendant is also an adult child of the deceased and a beneficiary named in the Will –– Reasonably sized estate in value principally comprising real property – Plaintiff and Defendant share equally the real property under terms of the Will - No competing financial claim advanced by the Defendant – Whether family provision order should be made, and if so, the nature and quantum of the provision to be made Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 Family Provision Act 1982 (NSW) Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW) Property (Relationships) Act 1984 (NSW) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Anderson v Teboneras [1990] VR 527; [1990] VicRp 47 Andrew v Andrew [2012] NSWCA 308; (2012) 81 NSWLR 656 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 Butcher v Craig [2009] WASC 164 Burke v Burke [2015] NSWCA 195 Carey v Robson (No 2) [2009] NSWSC 1199 Chan v Chan [2016] NSWCA 222 Chapple v Wilcox [2014] NSWCA 392; 87 NSWLR 646 Christie v Manera [2006] WASC 287 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) Diver v Neal [2009] NSWCA 54 Foley v Ellis [2008] NSWCA 288 Forsyth v Sinclair (No 2) (2010) 28 VR 635; [2010] VSCA 195 Fung v Ye [2007] NSWCA 115 Geoghegan v Szelid [2011] NSWSC 1440 Goodman v Windeyer [1980] HCA 31; 144 CLR 490 Goodsell v Wellington & Ors [2011] NSWSC 1232 Gorton v Parks (1989) 17 NSWLR Grey v Harrison [1997] 2 VR 359 Hall v Hall (2016) 332 ALR 1 Harkness v Harkness (No 2) [2012] NSWSC 35 Hawkins v Prestage (1989) 1 WAR 37 Henry v Hancock [2016] NSWSC 71 Heyward v Fisher (NSW Court of Appeal, 26 April 1985, unrep Hughes v National Trustees Executors & Agency Co of Australasia Ltd (1979) 143 CLR 134; [1979] HCA 2 Hunter v Hunter (1987) 8 NSWLR 573 Hyland v Burbidge [2000] NSWSC 12 Ilott v The Blue Cross & Ors [2017] UKSC 17 Jodell v Woods [2017] NSWSC 143 Kay v Archbold [2008] NSWSC 254 Kennon v Spry; Spry v Kennon (2008) 238 CLR 366 Kleinig v Neal (No 2) [1981] 2 NSWLR 532 Kohari v Snow [2013] NSWSC 452 MacGregor v MacGregor [2003] WASC 169 Marks v Marks [2003] WASCA 297 Mayfield v Lloyd-Williams [2004] NSWSC 419 McCosker v McCosker [1957] HCA 82, (1957) 97 CLR 566 McGrath v Eves [2005] NSWSC 1006 Palagiano v Mankarios [2011] NSWSC 61 Phillips v James (2014) 85 NSWLR 619; [2014] NSWCA 4 Poletti v Jones (2015) 13 ASTLR 113; [2015] NSWCA 107 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 Smith, Deceased (1991) 8 FRNZ 459 Salmon v Osmond [2015] NSWCA 42 Sammut v Kleemann [2012] NSWSC 1030 Singer v Berghouse [1994] HCA 40; (1994) 181 CLR 201 Slack v Rogan & Anor; Palffy v Rogan & Anor [2013] NSWSC 522; (2013) 85 NSWLR 253 Smith v Johnson [2015] NSWCA 297 Stern v Sekers; Sekers v Sekers [2010] NSWSC 59 Stott v Cook (1960) 33 ALJR 447 Szypica v O'Beirne [2013] NSWSC 297 Taylor v Farrugia [2009] NSWSC 801 Thompson v Sgro [2016] NSWSC 1869 Tobin v Ezekiel (2012) 83 NSWLR 757; [2012] NSWCA 285 Verzar v Verzar [2012] NSWSC 1380 Vigolo v Bostin (2005) 221 CLR 191; [2005] HCA 11 Walker v Walker (Supreme Court (NSW), Young J, 17 May 1996, unrep) White v Barron (1980) 144 CLR 431; [1980] HCA 14 White and Tulloch v White (1995) 19 Fam LR 696 Wilcox v Wilcox [2012] NSWSC 1138 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Lennie Meares (Plaintiff) Rodney Stanley Meares (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Ms L Goodchild (Plaintiff) Mr D Liebhold (Defendant)