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When it comes to managing family assets, especially after the death of a loved one, disputes can quickly escalate — particularly when promises and expectations clash with documented legal arrangements. The recent decision in Maria Di Giannantonio v Michael Di Giannantonio [2025] NSWSC 346 offers a t...
In New South Wales, an "eligible person" making a claim on a deceased estate needs to establish that inadequate provision was made by the deceased for the claimant's "proper maintenance, education or advancement in life" (section 59 of the Succession Act). If the claimant has already been provided ...
Hildebrandt v Papakonstantinou [2024] NSWSC 1181 (19 September 2024)
 In a recent case decided by the New South Wales Supreme Court, the plaintiffs sought relief based on the doctrine of proprietary estoppel and, alternatively, a family provision order in relation to a rural property owned by their...
Pillinger v Lees [2024] NSWSC 1067 (23 August 2024)
The Supreme Court of New South Wales last week ruled on a family provision claim brought by a spouse against the estate of her late husband. This case, under Section 59 of the Succession Act 2006 (NSW), focused on whether sufficient provision was ...
Yet again, the Supreme Court has dealt with the issue as to whether provision should be made from a deceased estate for a person who claims to have been the deceased's de facto partner, or some other form of "eligible person", for that person's future maintenance, education or advancement in life.
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 When a person creates a will, they have the power to decide who will inherit their property and assets after they pass away. In some cases, a testator may choose to exclude a child from their will, and in such cases, they may choose to include a statement explaining the reasons why the child was ex...
In a modern society where dynamic family structures are becoming more prevalent and varying methods of contraception are widely accessible, it follows that the legal definition of a 'child' has broadened significantly. Where 'child' was previously considered as only biological, the definition has no...
Division 2 (in particular, section 18) of the Succession Act 2006(NSW) allows the Court to authorise wills to be made, altered or revoked for persons who do not have testamentary capacity , whilst they are still alive (s18(3)) – this includes a minor who does not have the capacity to make a Will (s1...
Overview
Wills and Estates can be a particularly complex area of law, especially where multiple family provision claims are being made. In the case of Ng v Lau; In the Estate of Ken Kui Yuen Lau [2020] NSWSC 713, a number of issues were raised including two family provision claims, and whether a s...
It can be hard when preparing a Will to determine whether or not the testator ought to leave a token legacy for those people whom they believe would otherwise make a claim on their estate. This case is an example of the possible orders a court will make where it is satisfied that the main beneficia...
In a judgment handed down on 30 April 2019, the Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal by the adult children of a deceased man for further provision from his Estate.
The Case:Â Â Squire v Squire [2019] NSWCA 90 (30 April 2019)
The Family – In this case, the deceased had three adult children and had
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CASE UPDATE: The Supreme Court of New South Wales has recently handed down a decision (Stone v Stone [2019] NSWSC 233) stressing the need for participants to Family Provision proceedings to make full and frank financial disclosure to the Court, and to the other parties. This means complete disclosur...
This blog provides general information and should not be construed as legal advice. Laws may have changed since the publication of this content. We recommend consulting with a qualified legal professional to ensure compliance with current legislation and to address specific circumstances.
