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When a Business Succession Agreement is not enough to deal with the death of a business partner business business agreement deceased estate estate planning Nov 29, 2024

Iron Horse Machines Pty Ltd v Olmate Holdings Pty Ltd [2024] WASC 383

The dispute between Iron Horse Machines Pty Ltd and Olmate Holdings Pty Ltd arises from the breakdown of a long-standing business partnership between two long-time friends, Mr James Cross and the late...

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Instructing an expert in an estate challenge - lessons from the Green case capacity deceased estate estate estate planning supreme court Nov 20, 2024

Complexities can arise in disputes over wills and estate management, particularly when questions of testamentary capacity and undue influence are at the heart of the proceedings. In reviewing the recent Supreme Court case of Green v Green [2024] NSWSC 1442 below, we will explore the...

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But you promised me the farm?!? Promissory estoppel and the alternate family provision claim deceased estate estates family provision promissory estoppel supreme court Oct 16, 2024

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...

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Additional estate provision for spouse - from the children's shares deceased estate estate estates family provision supreme court Sep 03, 2024

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...

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Navigating legal battles when co-ownership goes undocumented co-ownership deceased estate estate property supreme court trusts May 08, 2024

All legal dealings, especially when they are between friends and family members, should be documented - which will be helpful if a dispute ever arises (or even, as in this case, one of the parties dies and the family needs to understand the nature of the dealing). ...

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The complexity of interpreting Wills and the case of the unborn nephew beneficiaries deceased estate estate planning estates supreme court Apr 30, 2024

There is a concept called "testamentary freedom" -  a will-maker has the freedom to draft a document leaving their estate to whomever they wish. However, the document needs to be drafted so that it correctly reflects the will-maker's wishes, and when terms such as "survives me" and "it...

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When an Estate is left to adult children but not the deceased's spouse deceased estate family provision succession act supreme court Sep 13, 2023

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...

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When a de facto relationship exists - even though you don't live together de facto deceased estate estates intestacy succession act supreme court Sep 07, 2022

Not only can an estate challenge be made by someone who is a blood relative of the deceased (so long as they satisfy one of the categories of relatives set out in the definition of “eligible person”, as defined in section 57 of the Succession Act 2006 (NSW)), but it can...

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Disputing a burial plot licence contract law deceased estate equitable estoppel estate planning estates Apr 15, 2020

Case:

Kovac v Chanak [2017] NSWSC 1023 (31 July 2017)

This matter relates to the burial of “Jovan Kovac” in plot #33 at Mona Vale Cemetery in June 2012.  At the time, the burial took place with the consent of the deceased’s cousin (the defendant in these proceedings),...

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Clarifying the deceasedā€™s relationships at the time of death ā€“ and determining who has the right to decide on burial or cremation deceased estate estates intestacy wills Mar 22, 2019

If a deceased person has not specified whether they would like to be buried or cremated (in their Will or otherwise), the legal right to make such a decision rests with the deceased’s next of kin.

The Supreme Court decision of Dragarski v Dunn [2019] NSWSC 300 dealt with a deceased who had...

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Family Provision - full and frank disclosure in contested estates contested will deceased estate estates family provision wills Mar 21, 2019

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...

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Can a former spouse make a claim on my estate? contested will deceased estate divorce estate planning estates family provision intestacy wills Feb 13, 2017

A recent Supreme Court decision (Lodin v Lodin; Estate of Dr Mohammad Masoud Lodin [2017] NSWSC 10) has highlighted the rights that former spouses may have to make a claim on a deceased’s estate – particularly if the estate is substantial and the Court finds that the...

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