Whilst this case is a little older than my usual case updates, it is by no means less interesting and, in my humble opinion, important when it comes to considering decisions in family provision matters involving disentitling conduct and estrangement. In the case of Dawson v Joyner [2011] QSC 385, the deceased was survived by…
Category: Estates
The Rise & Fall of the Gift & Loan Back: Re Permewan – on The Heir Waves
In the latest episode of my new podcast called The Heir Waves, Caite Brewer and I discussed some more interesting cases in succession law. Have a listen below: The Rise & Fall of the Gift & Loan Back: Re Permewan In this episode, Caite & Michele discuss: the case of Re Permewan (No 2) [2022] QSC 114…
Addiction & Conduct: FPA applicant receives legacy following tumultuous childhood (QLD)
I regularly research for my PhD and, lets be honest, for nerdy interest, for cases involving disentitling conduct. I recently spoke about this case on The Heir Waves podcast (Episode 1, to be exact) about the decisions of Hartley. I wanted to also post about it here for some further detail as I think the…
Super Scott: Superannuation with special guest Scott Hay-Bartlem – on The Heir Waves
In the latest episode of my new podcast called The Heir Waves, Caite Brewer and I discussed some more interesting cases in succession law. Have a listen below: Super Scott: Superannuation with special guest Scott Hay-Bartlem In this episode, Caite & Michele: are joined with special guest, Scott Hay-Bartlem, Partner and Superannuation guru at Cooper Grace Ward…
Be Wary to Vary and Exercise Discretion: Re Owies Family Trust – on The Heir Waves
In the latest episode of my new podcast called The Heir Waves, Caite Brewer and I discussed some more interesting cases in succession law. Have a listen below: Be Wary to Vary and Exercise Discretion: Re Owies Family Trust In this episode, Caite & Michele discuss: The family trust case of Re Owies Family Trust [2020] VSC…
Re Marsella and genuine and real consideration – on The Heir Waves
In the latest episode of my new podcast called The Heir Waves, Caite Brewer and I discussed some more interesting cases in succession law. Have a listen below: Freedom of Discretion: Re Marsella and ”real and genuine” consideration In this episode, Caite & Michele discuss: Follow up question from ‘Episode 1: To Love and To…
Executors behaving badly: Successful removal and IA appointed (QLD)
Getting an executor removed for undesirable behaviour can be quite the challenge in practice. Many elements are part of the equation including the conduct of the parties, the nature of the estate, the steps required to be taken to finalise the estate and the cost of appointing someone separately to administer the estate. Normally, the…
Leave ’em a loan: Liability to pay mortgage left with joint tenant
The liability of a mortgage is probably one of the most significant liabilities a couple will share. Whilst many times it’s a fairly equal distribution of that liability when everything is held jointly, it’s not always the case in circumstances of second/later relationships or a singular income earner and home maker. The recent decision of…
Elder Abuse = Disentitling Conduct: FPA by adult daughter dismissed with costs
It is no surprise to any of my colleagues in the succession world that this topic is of great interest to me. So, you can imagine my interest when I found this case. A few days ago, the New South Wales Supreme Court determined a matter that involved a family provision claim by an adult…
Pandemic or Prejudice: FPA hearing vacated amid COVID-19 (ACT)
I sincerely hope this reaches my readers, followers, and passers-by in a situation where they are safe and well during this tumultuous time in the world! For those in litigation, your practice is changing daily as we wait (and wait) for certainty (if it is ever arrives!); and those hearings aren’t going anywhere.. or are…
Conduct that disentitles: son’s application for FPA fails (QLD)
When someone contests a Will after being left out or not getting what they feel is their fair share, it’s more often than not that the surviving family want to suggest that that person’s conduct doesn’t entitlement to more, or sometimes anything. This is what us #lawnerds term as “disentitling conduct” in the context of…
Decision Impossible, Part 2: Appeal against disabled son’s FPA dismissed, with costs
Near the end of last year, I wrote a post about an FPA by a disabled son where provision was ordered in favour of that son to the detriment of the surviving widow of the deceased. This was, I feel, aptly described in the title as “Decision Impossible” as the effect of the order was…
Fractured Relationship: abuse and estrangement in FPA, provision ordered (NSW)
In the first post of this year, it seems fitting to write on the topic of disentitling conduct and estrangement, given my research interests in this space. Sadly, late last year saw the NSW Supreme Court determine a family provision application by a son against his father’s estate in what was clearly a very difficult…
Seeing is believing?: Will not seen by, or read to, deceased, upheld (VIC)
This week has found me reading lots of different and interesting cases and I can barely keep up! However, I was really interested to read this case and, whilst I appreciate my amazing subscribers are being bombarded with emails, I just had to post about it. Last week, the Victorian Court of Appeal was called…
Decision Impossible: FPA by disabled son against widow, forcing sale of family home in notional estate (NSW)
Recently, the NSW Supreme Court determined a very difficult family provision application by an adult son, in circumstances where the adult son was otherwise healthy when the deceased passed away, but subsequently suffered significant health issues following his father’s death. Further, the only available assets for such a family provision claim were via notional estate….
Screen Test: Court of Appeal prefers lawyer’s evidence over medical on testamentary capacity (NSW)
Capacity is quite the minefield. Any practitioner that works within this field, may very well agree with me. I would even hazard a guess and go as far as to say that perhaps even medical practitioners may also share the same view. Recently, in the case of Drivas v Jakopovic [2019] NSWCA 218, the New…
Duty Bound: solicitor’s duty to beneficiary of incapable testator after inter vivos transfer
It was in the context of preparing for the delivery of my recent presentation for The Tax Institute’s Death…and Taxes Symposium on the Gold Coast recently that I come to read a recent case of solicitor negligence in the context of estate planning. In the appeal decision of McFee v Reilly [2018] NSWCA 322, a…
Danger Zone: costs against plaintiff in FPA in small estate (NSW)
Family provision claims in small estates is an inherit danger zone for claimants and lawyers. The recent case of Wengdal v Rawnsley [2019] NSWSC 926 has demonstrated this again where Justice Hallen has ordered that the plaintiff’s claim be dismissed and the plaintiff pay the defendant’s costs on the ordinary basis. In this case, the deceased…
Catch and Release: Court considers when s33Z applies to a ‘purported’ Will (Qld)
Recently, the case of Saltmer v Rennick Lawyers Pty Ltd [2018] QSC 307 was heard in the Supreme Court of Queensland in Townsville where the Court was called upon to question of costs in a situation where a deceased person’s family member requested a copy of a document held by a Solicitor that the family…
Renewable Power: Court permits Attorney to renew superannuation nomination (QLD)
For a while now, it’s been a hazy question asked by succession lawyers alike about whether an attorney can make or renew a binding death benefit nomination for their principal’s superannuation policy proceeds. On 24 August 2018, Justice Bowskill of the Supreme Court of Queensland delivered a decision on this very topic. The case of…