Carrington v Wallace [2019] NSWSC 1301

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Carrington v Wallace [2019] NSWSC 1301 Hearing dates: 2 August 2019 Decision date: 27 September 2019 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Robb J Decision: (1) The Court proposes making the orders as set out in par [115] of these reasons for judgment.

(2) The parties should serve on the other parties and deliver to the Associate to Robb J any comments on the form of the orders that should be made within 14 days of the publication of these reasons for judgment. Catchwords: SUCCESSION — Wills, probate and administration — Proper construction and effect of testamentary dispositions

SUCCESSION — Wills, probate and administration — Construction and effect of testamentary dispositions — Admissibility of extrinsic evidence — Ambiguity at common law — Ambiguity under s 32 of the Succession Act — Ambiguity vs equivocation — No relevant ambiguity found Legislation Cited: Administration of Justice Act 1982, (UK) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Wills Act 1968 (ACT) Wills Act 1997 (Vic) Wills Act 2008 (Tas) Cases Cited: Allgood v Blake (1873) LR 8 Ex 160 Dore v Billinghurst [2006] QCA 494 Fell v Fell (1922) 31 CLR 268; [1922] HCA 55 Hobhouse v Macarthur-Onslow [2016] NSWSC 1831 James v Douglas [2016] NSWCA 178 Life Insurance Co of Australia Ltd v Phillips (1925) 36 CLR 60; [1925] HCA 18 Lockrey v Ferris [2011] NSWSC 179 Lubke v Claridge [2016] TASSC 44 Marley v Rawlings [2015] AC 129; [2014] UKSC 2 Re Williams (deceased); Wiles v Madgin [1985] 1 All ER 964 The Estate of William John Gilbert [2017] NSWSC 1138 Texts Cited: GE Dal Pont and KF Mackie, Law of Succession (2nd ed, 2018, LexisNexis Butterworths) National Committee for Uniform Succession Laws Report (December 1997) Sir K Lewison and D Hughes, The Interpretation of Contracts in Australia (2012, Thomson Reuters (Professional) Australia Limited) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Mischa Grace Carrington (first plaintiff/first cross-defendant) Dean Edward Carrington (second plaintiff/second cross-defendant) Matthew Gary Wallace (first defendant/first cross-claimant) Ashley Joseph Carrington (second defendant/second cross-claimant) Representation: Counsel: S Bell (plaintiffs/cross-defendants) J D Cook (defendants/cross-claimants)