Koellner v Spicer [2019] NSWSC 1571

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Koellner v Spicer [2019] NSWSC 1571 Hearing dates: 28 October 2019 Date of orders: 14 November 2019 Decision date: 14 November 2019 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Hallen J Decision: See Paragraphs [204]-[207] Catchwords: SUCCESSION – Family Provision – Claim by adult child of the deceased for provision from the deceased's estate under Ch 3 of Succession Act 2006 (NSW) – Small estate – No notional estate – Competing claim of sole beneficiary named in Will – Clause in deceased's Will setting out reasons for no provision being made for adult child – Whether facts asserted in the Will as to Plaintiff's conduct are accurate – Whether adequate and proper provision not made for the Plaintiff – Nature and quantum of provision, if any, that ought to be made for the Plaintiff Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Family Provision Act 1982 (NSW) Legal Profession Uniform Law 2014 (NSW) Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Cases Cited: Andrew v Andrew (2012) 81 NSWLR 656; [2012] NSWCA 308 Benham v Benham [2004] NSWSC 416 Bkassini v Sarkis [2017] NSWSC 1487 Boettcher v Driscoll (2014) 119 SASR 523; [2014] SASC 86 Bondelmonte v Blanckensee [1989] WAR 305 Borebor v Keane (2013) 11 ASTLR 96; [2013] VSC 35 Bouttell v Rapisarda [2014] NSWSC 1192 Bowditch v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2012] NSWSC 275 Bowyer v Wood (2007) 99 SASR 190; [2007] SASC 327 Burke v Burke (2015) 13 ASTLR 313; [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 Charlwood v Charlwood [2017] NSWSC 1033 Christie v Manera [2006] WASC 287 Crossman v Riedel [2004] ACTSC 127 Curtis v Smith [2019] NSWSC 843 de Angelis v de Angelis [2003] VSC 432 Detheridge v Detheridge [2019] NSWSC 183 Devereaux-Warnes v Hall (No 3) (2007) 35 WAR 127; [2007] WASCA 235 Diver v Neal (2009) 2 ASTLR 89; [2009] NSWCA 54 Foley v Ellis [2008] NSWCA 288 Forsyth v Sinclair (No 2) (2010) 28 VR 635; [2010] VSCA 195 Geoghegan v Szelid [2011] NSWSC 1440 Goodman v Windeyer (1980) 144 CLR 490; [1980] HCA 31 Goodsell v Wellington [2011] NSWSC 1232 Gorton v Parks (1989) 17 NSWLR 1 Grant v Roberts; Smith v Smith; Roberts v Smith; Harkness v Harkness (No 2) [2012] NSWSC 35 Grey v Harrison [1997] 2 VR 359 Hawkins v Prestage (1989) 1 WAR 37 Heyward v Fisher (Court of Appeal (NSW), Kirby P, 26 April 1985, unrep) Hughes v National Trustees Executors & Agency Company of Australasia Ltd (1979) 143 CLR 134 Hunter v Hunter (1987) 8 NSWLR 573 In re Green, deceased; Zukerman v Public Trustee [1951] NZLR 135 Kohari v Snow [2013] NSWSC 452 MacGregor v MacGregor [2003] WASC 169 Marks v Marks [2003] WASCA 297 McCosker v McCosker; Kleinig v Neal (No 2) [1981] 2 NSWLR 532 McGrath v Eves [2005] NSWSC 1006 McKenzie v Topp [2004] VSC 90 Michael John Askew v John Paul Askew [2015] NSWSC 192 Nock v Austin (1918) 25 CLR 519; [1918] HCA 73 Pilotto v Cosoleto; Papi & Papi v Cosoleto and Cosoleto v Cosoleto [2019] NSWSC 1454 Poletti v Jones [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 Estate of Moss, deceased; Larke v Nugus [2000] WTLR 1033 Re Estates Brooker-Pain and Soulos [2019] NSWSC 671 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 & Anor [2014] NSWSC 473 Sgro v Thompson [2017] NSWCA 326 Shannon & Anor v Steinmetz [2019] HCASL 332 (16 October 2019) Singer v Berghouse (1994) 181 CLR 201 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 Steinmetz v Shannon [2018] NSWSC 1090 Steinmetz v Shannon [2019] NSWCA 114 Stern v Sekers; Sekers v Sekers [2010] NSWSC 59 Stott v Cook (1960) 33 ALJR 447 Sung v Malaxos [2015] NSWSC 186 Taylor v Farrugia [2009] NSWSC 801 Tobin v Ezekiel [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 Worsley v Solomon [2008] NSWSC 444 Yee v Yee [2017] NSWCA 305 Zagame v Zagame [2014] NSWSC 1302 Texts Cited: R Atherton, "The Concept of Moral Duty in the Law of Family Provision – a Gloss or Critical Understanding?" (1999) 5 Australian Journal of Legal History Category: Principal judgment Parties: Daniel Koellner (Plaintiff) Scott Spicer (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr K Morrissey (Plaintiff) Ms R Kako (Defendant)