Soens v Rathborne [2018] NSWSC 302

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Soens v Rathborne [2018] NSWSC 302 Hearing dates: 1 February 2018 Date of orders: 14 March 2018 Decision date: 14 March 2018 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Hallen J Decision: (i) Orders that the matter be adjourned to a date mutually convenient to the Court and the parties, to enable the parties to agree upon the final form of the proposed orders, including any orders as to costs.

(ii) Direct the parties to bring in Short Minutes of Order to reflect the reasons and the proposed orders.

(iii) Orders that if agreement is reached, Short Minutes of Order may be forwarded to the Court, for consideration, in Chambers, so that the orders proposed may be made, and entered, and the adjourned date be vacated. Catchwords: SUCCESSION - FAMILY PROVISION - NOTIONAL ESTATE – The Plaintiff, a daughter of the deceased, seeks a family provision order out of the estate or notional estate of the deceased under the Succession Act 2006 – No grant of administration – No provision made for the Plaintiff in the Will – Very little actual estate - The Defendant is the widow of the deceased and the holder of all property that may be designated as notional estate - Whether provision should be made for the Plaintiff and, if so, the nature of the provision to be made - Whether property of the Defendant should be designated as notional estate Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 Family Provision Act 1982 (NSW) Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Cases Cited: Alexander v Jansson [2010] NSWCA 176 Andrew v Andrew (2012) 81 NSWLR 656; [2012] NSWCA 308 Andrew v Blair [2007] NSWSC 1003 Bartlett v Coomber [2008] NSWCA 100 Baychek v Baychek [2010] NSWSC 987 Boettcher v Driscoll (2014) 119 SASR 523; [2014] SASC 86 Bondelmonte v Blanckensee [1989] WAR 305 Borebor v Keane [2013] VSC 35 Bosch v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd [1938] AC 463 Bowditch v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2012] NSWSC 275 Bowyer v Wood (2007) 99 SASR 190; [2007] SASC 327 Butcher v Craig [2009] WASC 164 Campbell v Chabert-McKay [2010] NSWSC 859 Cetojevic v Cetojevic [2006] NSWSC 431 Chapple v Wilcox (2014) 87 NSWLR 646; [2014] NSWCA 392 Christie v Manera [2006] WASC 287 Crossman v Riedel [2004] ACTSC 127 Curnow v Curnow [2014] NSWSC 896 de Angelis v de Angelis [2003] VSC 432 Devereaux-Warnes v Hall (No 3) (2007) 35 WAR 127; [2007] WASCA 235 Dion Giuseppi Sergi by next friend Aileen Solowiej v Sergi [2012] WASC 18 Diver v Neal [2009] NSWCA 54 Ernst v Mowbray [2004] NSWSC 1140 Foley v Ellis [2008] NSWCA 288 Galt v Compagnon (Supreme Court (NSW), Einstein J, 24 February 1998, unrep) Gardiner v Gardiner (Supreme Court (NSW), Santow J, 28 May 1998, unrep) Goodman v Windeyer (1980) 144 CLR 490; [1980] HCA 31 Goodsell v Wellington [2011] NSWSC 1232 Gorton v Parks (1989) 17 NSWLR 1 Grey v Harrison [1997] 2 VR 359 Guardian Trust and Executors Company of New Zealand Ltd v Public Trustee of New Zealand [1942] AC 115 Hawkins v Prestage (1989) 1 WAR 37 at 45 Henry v Hancock [2016] NSWSC 71 Heyward v Fisher (Court of Appeal (NSW), Kirby J, 26 April 1985, unrep) Hughes v National Trustees, Executors and Agency Co of Australasia Ltd (1979) 143 CLR 134; [1979] HCA 2 Hunter v Hunter (1987) 8 NSWLR 573 Ilott v The Blue Cross [2017] 2 WLR 979; [2017] UKSC 17 In the Estate of Puckridge, Deceased (1978) 20 SASR 72 John Alexander's Clubs Pty Ltd v White City Tennis Club Ltd (2010) 241 CLR 1; [2010] HCA 19 John v John [2010] NSWSC 937 Kavalee v Burbidge; Hyland v Burbidge (1998) 43 NSWLR 422 Kay v Archbold [2008] NSWSC 254 Kleinig v Neal (No 2) [1981] 2 NSWLR 532 Kohari v NSW Trustee & Guardian [2017] NSWSC 1080 Kohari v Snow [2013] NSWSC 452 Lewis v Warner [2016] 3 WLR 1545; [2016] EWHC 1787 MacGregor v MacGregor [2003] WASC 169 Manuel v Lane [2013] NSWCA 61 Marks v Marks [2003] WASCA 297 Mayfield v Lloyd-Williams [2004] NSWSC 419 McCosker v McCosker (1957) 97 CLR 566; [1957] HCA 82 McGrath v Eves [2005] NSWSC 1006 Ogburn v Ogburn; Ogburn v Ogburn [2012] NSWSC 79 McKenzie v Topp [2004] VSC 90 Page v Page [2016] NSWSC 1218 Palagiano v Mankarios [2011] NSWSC 61 Penninger v Penninger [2017] NSWSC 892 Phillips v James (2014) 85 NSWLR 619; [2014] NSWCA 4 Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith v Scales (1962) 107 CLR 9; [1962] HCA 19 R (on the application of M) v Slough Borough Council [2008] 1 WLR 1808; [2008] UKHL 52 Re Dennis (Deceased) [1981] 2 All ER 140 Salmon v Osmond [2015] NSWCA 42 Sam Wardy v Gordon Salier; William Wardy v Gordon Salier; Hassiba Wardy v Estate of late Edmond Wadih Wardy, developer and Ch 3 of the Succession Act 2006 [2014] NSWSC 473 Singer v Berghouse (1994) 181 CLR 201; [1994] HCA 40 Slack v Rogan; Palffy v Rogan (2013) 85 NSWLR 253; [2013] NSWSC 522 Smith v Dayman [1994] NSWCA 286 Smith v Johnson (2015) 14 ASTLR 175; [2015] NSWCA 297 Smith v Woodward (Supreme Court (NSW), Macready M, 9 September 1994, unrep) Stern v Sekers; Sekers v Sekers [2010] NSWSC 59 Stone v Stone [2016] NSWSC 605 Stott v Cook (1960) 33 ALJR 447 Sung v Malaxos [2015] NSWSC 186 Szypica v O'Beirne [2013] NSWSC 297 Taylor v Farrugia [2009] NSWSC 801 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) Walker v Walker (Supreme Court (NSW), Young J, 17 May 1996, unrep Wheat v Wisbey [2013] NSWSC 537 White v Barron (1980) 144 CLR 431; [1980] HCA 14 Wilcox v Wilcox [2012] NSWSC 1138 Williamson v Williamson [2011] NSWSC 228 Yee v Yee [2017] NSWCA 305 Texts Cited: Heydon and Leeming, Jacobs' Law of Trusts in Australia, (7th ed 2006, LexisNexis Butterworths) New South Wales Law Reform Commission, Report 110 Uniform Succession Laws: Family Provision, (May 2005) Rosalind Atherton, "The Concept of Moral Duty in the Law of Family Provision – a Gloss or Critical Understanding?" (1999) 5 Aust J Leg Hist 5 Rosalind Croucher, "Contracts to Leave Property by Will and Family Provision after Barns v Barns [2003] HCA 9" (2005) 27(2) SydLR 263 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Angela Leigh Soens (Plaintiff) Mary Elaine Rathborne (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Ms L Clarke (Plaintiff) Mr J E Armfield (Defendant)