Our client first met his partner in the early 1980s. At this time he was a young man living with his family overseas. Having left school, he continued to correspond with his much older Australian friend who came to visit him on several occasions.
Eventually the older friend invited our client to visit him in Australia. Over the ensuing period, a close personal relationship developed between the two of them.
They then decided to live together in the older gentleman’s apartment in Sydney.
Over the many years that followed, our client became a “house body” doing all the home duties including cooking and cleaning. Eventually the older partner retired and our client cared for him until his eventual death.
In the Will, our client was left the right to occupy the apartment for a three year period and a small legacy from his partner’s Estate.
Our client turned to Taylor & Scott for help and advice.
Evelyn Gardis acted for our client. She carefully took very detailed instructions in respect to the relationship between the couple and her client’s “financial dependency” on the deceased. She was able to obtain evidence of this relationship from diaries that the deceased partner had kept and from letters and other documents as well as statements from various friends and acquaintances of the couple.
Eventually Evelyn commenced proceedings under the Family Provisions/Succession Act 2006 in the Supreme Court in its Equity Division.
The case came to a mediation and Evelyn was able to negotiate a settlement of the matter whereby her client received more than half the value of the Estate. With this settlement, our client’s financial situation which had been dire, was now secure.
If you have been living in a same sex relationship with your partner and feel that you have been unfairly treated in your partner’s Will, please contact Evelyn Gardis on 1800 600 664 or complete the contact form on this page. We will carefully assess your claim and provide you with compassionate, unbiased legal advice. If we act for you, it will be on a no-win/no-pay basis meaning that if you don’t succeed with your claim, Taylor & Scott will not be paid for the work they do.
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