Succession law explained
Saunders v Vautier [1841] EWHC J82 confirmed that, where all beneficiaries of a trust are adults and not under any disability, they may require the trustee to transfer the legal estate and bring the trust to an end. This principle, known as the rule in Saunders v Vautier, has been affirmed in later common law decisions. Richard Wright established the …
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Unpaid present entitlements (UPEs) involving private companies and discretionary trusts raise complex issues under Australian tax law. Division 7A of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (Cth) determines when a private company beneficiary’s unpaid entitlement is treated as a loan to the trust. The Australian Taxation Office considers that a trustee’s retention of an unpaid …
The Family Provision Act 1982 (NSW), despite its repeal over 15 years ago, continues to apply to estates where the deceased died before 1 March 2009. In these cases, family provision claims are determined under the former Act, not Chapter 3 of the Succession Act 2006 (NSW). Practitioners and executors therefore continue to encounter the 1982 Act in current …
Continue reading "Family Provision & Bare Paternity: Pronesti v Napoli (No 2) [2026] NSWSC 856"
Recent procedural reforms in New South Wales have altered the management of probate and family provision proceedings. Practice Note SC Eq 7 requires early case management, oversight by the registrar, and stricter regulation of litigation costs. The Court of Appeal in Schwanke v Alexakis; Camilleri v Alexakis [2024] NSWCA 118 confirmed that equitable presumptions relevant …
Continue reading "Keighran v Bishop [2025] NSWSC 1553: Family provision claim by a spouse."
When an executor fails to administer an estate and family conflict brings the administration to a standstill, the Supreme Court has broad powers to intervene. One of its most effective remedies is appointing an independent administrator to ensure the estate is administered impartially and efficiently.In Coxhead v Housen [2026] NSWCA 128, the New South Wales …
Continue reading "Court Appoints Independent Administrator in Estate Dispute"
A constructive trust is an important equitable remedy for preventing unfair outcomes where the strict legal ownership of property no longer reflects the justice of the parties' relationship. While registered title under the Real Property Act 1900 generally provides indefeasible ownership, courts retain the ability to recognise equitable interests where it would be unconscionable for a legal …
If an original Will cannot be found after death, the law presumes the Will maker destroyed the Will with the intention of revoking it. This presumption may be rebutted where evidence supports the admission of a copy to probate. Courts have identified several categories of persuasive evidence: contemporaneous solicitor records confirming the Will's existence, statements …
Probate litigation examines the circumstances of Will preparation, focusing on the source of instructions, the testator's understanding, and the presence of capacity, undue influence, or suspicious circumstances. Capacity concerns the testator's understanding of the Will's nature and effect. Undue influence involves external pressure affecting the testator's intentions. Re Estate of Moss, deceased; Larke v Nugus …
Continue reading "Preliminary Discovery in Probate: Fuda v Dawes [2026] NSWSC 360"
The Archibald Prize was established by the Will of John Feltham Archibald (Jules François Archibald), journalist and publisher, who co-founded The Bulletin in 1880 and served as its editor. The Bulletin supported Australian writers and artists. During Archibald's tenure, the publication endorsed the White Australia policy, which is relevant to the historical context. Archibald died …
Continue reading "Legal Insights into the Archibald Prize: Key Court Cases Explained"
McKay v Queensland Ballet Company [2026] QSC 137 concerned the construction of the Will of Glenn Rycen Cooke. Cooke died in January 2025, having executed his Will in June 1993. He appointed Judith Marilyn McKay as executor. Cooke was unmarried, had no children, and was a prominent supporter of the arts in Queensland. He served …
Continue reading "Contemporary Dance & McKay v Queensland Ballet Company [2026] QSC 137"