The Court held that three adult children estranged from their deceased mother for over 20 years were each left without adequate provision for proper maintenance, education and advancement in life, notwithstanding that the estrangement was longstanding and the deceased's will deliberately excluded them. The estrangement was found to be substantially the product of the parents' bitter marital breakdown rather than attributable solely to the children, and the Court balanced the children's claims against the legitimate entitlement of the sole beneficiary (the deceased's surrogate daughter and niece) who had provided years of close support and care. Legacies totalling $750,000 were ordered from a net distributable estate of approximately $2.37 million, leaving the residuary beneficiary approximately $1.62 million.
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