McDonald v O’Connor [2019] NSWSC 261

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: McDonald v O'Connor [2019] NSWSC 261 Hearing dates: 10 - 12 December 2018 Date of orders: 14 March 2019 Decision date: 14 March 2019 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Hallen J Decision: (i) Directs the parties to bring in Short Minutes of Order to reflect these reasons.

(ii) 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, and to determine any orders for costs. 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 - Written statement going to testamentary intention, which provided reasons for the lack of any provision being made for the Plaintiff made by the deceased - Contents of parts of the statement disputed by Plaintiff - Nature of relationship of the Plaintiff and the deceased - Modest actual estate (and property sought to be designated as notional estate) in value – Competing claim of the major beneficiaries, being the only two grandchildren of the deceased - Nature of the relationship of each of the major beneficiaries and the deceased – Whether a family provision order should be made, and if so, the nature and quantum of the provision to be made and how the burden of the provision, if any, made should be borne.

NOTIONAL ESTATE – Whether a relevant property transaction – Whether part of the proceeds of sale of the deceased's home given to the Defendant within 3 years before the date of the death of the deceased was entered into with the intention, wholly or partly, of denying or limiting provision being made out of the estate of the deceased for the maintenance, education or advancement in life of the Plaintiff. Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Family Provision Act 1982 (NSW) Family Provision Act 1982 (NSW) Inheritance (Family Provision) Act 1972 (SA) Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Testator's Family Maintenance and Guardianship of Infants Act 1916 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Alcock v Cooper [2010] SASC 167 Alexander v Jansson [2010] NSWCA 176 Amos v Hogg [2018] NSWSC 1226 Andrew v Andrew (2012) 81 NSWLR 656; [2012] NSWCA 308 Bartlett v Coomber [2008] NSWCA 100 Benham v Benham [2004] NSWSC 416 Boettcher v Driscoll (2014) 119 SASR 523 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 Burke v Burke [2015] NSWCA 195 Butcher v Craig [2009] WASC 164 Carey v Robson (No 2) [2009] NSWSC 1199 Chan v Chan (2016) 15 ASTLR 317; [2016] NSWCA 222 Chapple v Wilcox (2014) 87 NSWLR 646; [2014] NSWCA 392 Christie v Manera [2006] WASC 287 Courtney v Powell [2012] NSWSC 460 Crossman v Riedel [2004] ACTSC 127 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 Fiorentini v O'Neill [1998] NSWCA 79 Foley v Ellis [2008] NSWCA 288 Forsyth v Sinclair (No 2) (2010) 28 VR 635; [2010] VSCA 195 Fulton v Fulton [2014] NSWSC 619 Gardiner v Gardiner (Supreme Court (NSW), 28 May 1998, unrep) Goodman v Windeyer (1980) 144 CLR 490; [1980] HCA 31 Goodsell v Wellington [2011] NSWSC 1232 Grey v Harrison [1997] 2 VR 359 Harkness v Harkness (No 2) [2012] NSWSC 35 Harris v Harris [2018] NSWCA 334 Hawkins v Prestage (1989) 1 WAR 37 Heyward v Fisher (Court of Appeal (NSW), Kirby J, 26 April 1985, unrep) Hildebrandt v Soncini [2007] NSWSC 1227 Hinderry v Hinderry [2016] NSWSC 780 Hughes v National Trustees Executors & Agency Company of Australasia Ltd (1979) 143 CLR 134; [1979] HCA 2 Hunter v Hunter (1987) 8 NSWLR 573 In re Green, deceased; Zukerman v Public Trustee [1951] NZLR 135 In re the Will of FB Gilbert (dec'd) (1946) 46 SR (NSW) 318 Kastrounis v Foundouradakis [2012] NSWSC 264 Kay v Archbold [2008] NSWSC 254 Kleinig v Neal (No 2) [1981] 2 NSWLR 532 Kohari v Snow [2013] NSWSC 452 MacGregor v MacGregor [2003] WASC 169 Madden-Smith v Madden (Estate of the late Doris Linda Madden) [2012] NSWSC 146 Manuel v Lane [2013] NSWCA 61 Marks v Marks [2003] WASCA 297 Maynard v Maynard [2018] NSWSC 1961 McCosker v McCosker (1957) 97 CLR 566; [1957] HCA 82 McGrath v Eves [2005] NSWSC 1006 McKenzie v Topp [2004] VSC 90 Meres v Meres [2017] NSWSC 285 Morris v Smoel [2014] VSC 32 Nock v Austin (1918) 25 CLR 519; [1918] HCA 73 Oxley v Oxley [2018] NSWSC 91 Page v Page [2016] NSWSC 1218 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 R (on the application of M) v Slough Borough Council [2008] 1 WLR 1808; [2008] UKHL 52 Re Coventry (Deceased) [1979] 3 All ER 815 Rogers v Rogers [2018] NSWSC 1982 Salmon v Osmond [2015] NSWCA 42 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 Slack-Smith v Slack-Smith [2010] NSWSC 625 Smith v Johnson [2015] NSWCA 297 Smith v Johnson (2015) 14 ASTLR 175; [2015] NSWCA 297 Smith v Smith [2018] SASC 93 Steinmetz v Shannon [2018] NSWSC 1090 Stern v Sekers; Sekers v Sekers [2010] NSWSC 59 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 Toscano v Toscano [2017] NSWSC 419 Underwood v Gaudron [2015] NSWCA 269 Vidler v Ivimey [2013] NSWSC 1605 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 Worsley v Solomon [2008] NSWSC 444 Yee v Yee [2017] NSWCA 305 Texts Cited: Rosalind Atherton in "The Concept of Moral Duty in the Law of Family Provision – a Gloss or Critical Understanding?" (1999) 5 Aust J Leg Hist 5, 10 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Margaret May McDonald (Plaintiff) Fiona O'Connor (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr A Lakeman (Plaintiff) Mr J E F Brown (Defendant)