Amos v Hogg [2018] NSWSC 1226

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Amos v Hogg [2018] NSWSC 1226 Hearing dates: 2 – 4 July 2018 Date of orders: 15 August 2018 Decision date: 15 August 2018 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Hallen J Decision: The Court:

(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 orders, including any orders as to costs.

(ii) Directs the parties to bring in Short Minutes of Order reflecting these reasons and proposed orders.

(iii) Orders that if agreement is reached, signed 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 – The Plaintiff, an adult adopted child of the deceased, makes a claim for a family provision order by way of additional provision out of the estate of the deceased – No dispute as to the Plaintiff's eligibility as an adopted child of the deceased – Deceased divided estate into percentage shares – Plaintiff received 10 per cent under the deceased's last Will – Modest estate in value, comprising cash – Only one of the other beneficiaries advanced competing financial claim – Other beneficiaries named in the Will of the deceased rely upon competing claim as chosen objects of testamentary bounty – Two different written and signed statements by the deceased providing reasons for the provision made for the Plaintiff – Plaintiff and deceased estranged at the date of death – Period of estrangement about 2 years – Whether estrangement, by itself, terminates obligation of parent towards a child in financial need – Plaintiff has limited income and no savings – Plaintiff suffers various health conditions – Some provision made by deceased in her lifetime for the Plaintiff – Whether family provision order should be made, and if so, the nature and quantum of the provision to be made Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Family Provision Act 1982 (NSW) Inheritance (Family Provision) Act 1972 (SA) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Cases Cited: Afoa v McBride [2017] NSWCA 323 Alexander v Jansson [2010] NSWCA 176 Anderson v Teboneras [1990] VR 527 Andrew v Andrew (2012) 81 NSWLR 656; [2012] NSWCA 308 Boettcher v Driscoll (2014) 119 SASR 523; [2014] SASC 86 Bosch v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd [1938] AC 463 Bowditch v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2012] NSWSC 275 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336; [1938] HCA 34 Burke v Burke (2015) 13 ASTLR 313; [2015] NSWCA 195 Carey v Robson (No 2) [2009] NSWSC 1199 Chan v Chan [2016] NSWCA 222 Chapple v Wilcox (2014) 87 NSWLR 646; [2014] NSWCA 392 Collicoat v McMillan [1999] 3 VR 803 Condello v Kim [2018] NSWSC 394 de Angelis v de Angelis [2003] VSC 432 Devereaux-Warnes v Hall (No 3) (2007) 35 WAR 127; [2007] WASCA 235 Diver v Neal [2009] NSWCA 54 Estate of Puckridge, Deceased (1978) 20 SASR 72 Foley v Ellis [2008] NSWCA 288 Forsyth v Sinclair (No 2) (2010) 28 VR 635; [2010] VSCA 195 Gardiner v Gardiner (Supreme Court (NSW), Santow J, 28 May 1998, unrep) Gargano v Coves [2018] NSWSC 985 Harkness v Harkness (No 2) [2012] NSWSC 35 Hughes v National Trustees, Executors and Agency Company of Australasia Ltd (1979) 143 CLR 134 In re Green, deceased; Zuckerman v Public Trustee [1951] NZLR 13 Jodell v Woods [2017] NSWSC 143 Kay v Archbold [2008] NSWSC 254 Kleinig v Neal (No 2) [1981] 2 NSWLR 532 Manuel v Lane [2013] NSWCA 61 Mayfield v Lloyd-Williams [2004] NSWSC 419 McCosker v McCosker (1957) 97 CLR 566; [1957] HCA 82 Meres v Meres [2017] NSWSC 285 Murphy v Stewart; Estate PE Stewart [2004] NSWSC 569 Nicholas v Tubb [2016] TASSC 53 Palagiano v Mankarios [2011] NSWSC 61 Poletti v Jones (2015) 13 ASTLR 113; [2015] NSWCA 107 Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith v Scales (1962) 107 CLR 9; [1962] HCA 19 Price v Roberts [1992] NSWCA 191 R (on the application of M) v Slough Borough Council [2008] 1 WLR 1808; [2008] UKHL 52 Sammut v Kleemann [2012] NSWSC 1030 Sgro v Thompson [2017] NSWCA 326 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 Smith [2018] SASC 93 State of New South Wales v Thomlinson [2018] NSWCA 151 Steinmetz v Shannon [2018] NSWSC 1090 Szypica v O'Beirne [2013] NSWSC 297 Tobin v Ezekiel (2012) 83 NSWLR 757; [2012] NSWCA 285 Toscano v Toscano [2017] NSWSC 419 Underwood v Gaudron [2014] NSWSC 1055 Underwood v Gaudron (2015) 324 ALR 641; [2015] NSWCA 269 Verzar v Verzar [2012] NSWSC 1380 Vigolo v Bostin (2005) 221 CLR 191; [2005] HCA 11 White v Barron (1980) 144 CLR 431; [1980] HCA 14 Worsley v Solomon [2008] NSWSC 444 Yee v Yee [2017] NSWCA 305 Texts Cited: R Atherton, "The Concept of Moral Duty in the Law of Family Provision – a Gloss or Critical Understanding?" (1999) 5(1) Aust J Leg Hist 5 Category: Principal judgment Parties: John Allan Woodroffe Amos (Plaintiff) Peter Hogg (first Defendant) Therese Valerie Younes (second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Ms J McIntosh (Plaintiff) Mr L Ellison SC and Ms L Nurpuri (Defendants)