CASE: An Elderly Plaintiff NSW Trustee & Guardian v A Daughter and Granddaughter[2019] NSWSC 1747, Grant v Grant (No2) [2020] NSWSC 1288; Grant v Grant [2020] NSWCA 328; and Grant v Grant (No 3) [2021] NSWSC1.

Dr Alan Grant and Gwynneth Grant were a successful couple, raising their five children in the secluded beachside village of Killcare.

It could have been an idyllic life but from from a young age, their eldest daughter Nerez created problems with her aggression and tantrums.

The whole family was affected by Nerez's drug and financial problems, and victims of her verbal abuse and harassment.

Dr Grant fell victim to Nerez's control and manipulation. While Mrs Grant left her husband and home to escape Nerez's abuse.

When Mrs Grant died in 2017, her Will made no provision for her daughter eldest daughter. Nerez filed a family provision application seeking provision from her mother's estate.

Around the same time, there were legal proceedings against Nerez seeking for the return of the Killcare property to Dr Grant as well as $130,000 Nerez had transferred from his accounts.

WARNING: Content includes verbal and physical abuse and foul language.

CASE: Pietsch and Secretary, Department of Social Services [2024] AATA 2678

In May 2020, Russell Pietsch was 70 years old and newly in love. His young bride Tresha was 18 years old and living in the Philippines.

But there was a bug in their budding romance. For 6 years Russell had been receiving the age pension at the single rate and now that he was in a relationship, his payments were cut.

Russell was not going to take this lying down! He appealed all the way to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

The key question for consideration was this: Was there any special reason why Russell should continue to receive the single age pension when he was not single?

CASE: Wallis v Rudek [2020] NSWSC 162; Wallis v Rudek (No 2) [2020] NSWSC 215

Yuri & Olga Wallis were in financial crisis. They were about to lose their house in Pennant Hills, Sydney.

The property was worth $950,000 but they owed $840,000 to the bank and they were unable to pay the mortgage.

They asked their daughter Suzanne to buy them out on the agreement that Suzanne and her family would live in the upstairs dwelling and they would live in the downstairs dwelling.

Suzanne stepped up to help. But Yuri was not a good neighbour. He prevented much needed repairs to the property, he invaded the upstairs space, and he verbally abused Suzanne's husband and children.

When Suzanne tried to evict them, her parents refused to leave.