Succession Act 2006

The statutory legacy for a spouse consists of—

the CPI adjusted legacy, and

if the statutory legacy is not paid, or not paid in full, within 1 year after the intestate’s death—interest at the relevant rate on the amount outstanding from time to time (excluding interest) from the first anniversary of the intestate’s death to the date of payment of the legacy in full.

The CPI adjusted legacy is to be determined in accordance with the following formula—

If, however, a spouse is entitled to a statutory legacy under this Act and under the law of another Australian jurisdiction or jurisdictions—

the spouse’s statutory legacy is an amount equivalent to the highest amount fixed by way of statutory legacy under any of the relevant laws (including this Act), but

the following qualifications apply—

amounts received by the spouse, by way of statutory legacy, under any of the other relevant laws are taken to have been paid towards satisfaction of the spouse’s statutory legacy under this Act,

if any of the relevant laws contain no provision corresponding to subparagraph (i), no amount is payable by way of statutory legacy under this Act until the spouse’s entitlement under that law is satisfied, or the spouse renounces the spouse’s entitlement to payment, or further payment, by way of statutory legacy, under that law.

If the value of an intestate estate is insufficient to allow for the payment of a statutory legacy (or statutory legacies) in full, the statutory legacy abates to the necessary extent and, if 2 or more statutory legacies are payable, they abate ratably.

The relevant rate of interest is the rate that lies 2% above the cash rate last published by the Reserve Bank of Australia before 1 January in the calendar year in which interest begins to accrue.

If the Australian Statistician publishes a Consumer Price Index number in respect of a particular quarter in substitution for a Consumer Price Index number previously published in respect of that quarter—

except as provided by paragraph (b)—the publication of the later Index number is to be disregarded, or

if the Minister so directs—regard is to be had to the later and not to the earlier Index number.

If the reference base for the Consumer Price Index is changed, regard is to be had only to Index numbers published in terms of the new reference base or to Index numbers converted to the new reference base in accordance with an arithmetical conversion factor specified by the Australian Statistician.

An adjustment under subsection (3) is to be made to the nearest whole dollar.

In this section—