The seniority and standing of a party in the legal profession, including status as a retired High Court justice, does not give rise to apprehended bias on the part of the trial judge in the absence of a personal relationship. In family provision cases involving lengthy estrangement, the estrangement itself (rather than apportionment of blame for it) is the critical factor, and there is no presumptive testamentary entitlement for offspring. Where an application for family provision is made substantially out of time and the estate has been distributed, the application may be dismissed for delay without full consideration of the merits if the excuse for delay is incomplete and prejudice to beneficiaries is demonstrated.
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