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Home / Expertise / Wills, estates & trusts

Wills, estates & trusts

We approach all estate and trust matters in a commercial way to achieve the best result possible for our clients. You have the comfort of dealing with accredited specialists who are recognised as preeminent lawyers in the field. Fixed fee and court scale pricing also provides you with the confidence of knowing that you are receiving the best quality advice at a certain price.

We know and understand that working with individuals to administer estates and trusts, implement succession plans, contest wills and estates, requires a commercial approach, a genuine interest in people and a detailed understanding of the law.

We understand that succession planning is not just about making a will. It is about ensuring that the right assets end up with the right people at the appropriate time. We use testamentary discretionary trusts to preserve estate assets for the intended beneficiaries. For high net worth individuals with complex affairs, we also advise on their business succession planning, helping them to navigate the relevant asset protection and tax planning issues while ensuring that control of the business passes as intended.

Estates are often complex and unique. In modern families and when businesses are involved, there are frequently disputes which arise given the varied and competing interests of the family members.

We assist with the collection of estate assets from various institutions and liaise with the estate’s creditors where appropriate. We specialise in family provision applications, equitable claims, constructive trusts, will and trust deed validation, interpretation and drafting of wills, cy pres applications, and advising on the rights of trustees and beneficiaries in relation to trusts. Our senior lawyers have been appointed as an administrator in contested estates on numerous occasions and have acted as litigation guardian for infant beneficiaries.

Our personal approach of taking the time to know and understand our client’s unique situation and objectives, coupled with our decades of experience, delivers commercial outcomes rapidly and smoothly.

To find out more, contact Scott Whitla

Experience

High net worth individual

Conducted a full estate planning review which not only assisted the family to clarify and codify their long standing charitable intentions, but also saved them some significant tax as part of the process.

Business owner with multiple entities

Assisted the client to have the court approve the existence of a long lost trust deed and to then restructure the business such that control of the business would pass to the intended family member.

Executors under fire

Acting to defend claims against an estate from not only disappointed family members who had been left out of the will, but from unhappy beneficiaries who were not being reasonable or commercial about the finalisation of the estate.

Awards/Recognitions

Ranked in Band 1 – Chambers HNW 2017 – Private Wealth Law

Meet the team

Halie Beaumont

Senior Associate

Frances Becker

Senior Associate

Sarah Doblo

Senior Associate

Paige Edwards

Senior Associate

Phillip McGowan

Partner

Peter McKnoulty

Consultant

Simon Robinson

Senior Associate

Scott Whitla

Partner

Tim Whitney

Consultant

Related services and sectors

Wills, estates & trusts

Not-for-profit

Disputes

Restructuring

Tax & structuring

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BRISBANE

Level 11, 66 Eagle Street
Brisbane QLD 4000
GPO Box 1855
Brisbane QLD 4001
Tel +61 7 3233 8888
Fax +61 7 3229 9949

 

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sydney

Level 32, MLC Centre
19 Martin Place
Sydney NSW 2000
GPO Box 462
Sydney NSW 2001

Tel +61 2 8241 5600
Fax +61 2 8241 5699

 

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melbourne

Level 27, 101 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
GPO Box 2924
Melbourne VIC 3001

Tel +61 3 9067 3100
Fax +61 3 9067 3199

 

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newcastle

Level 2, 16 Telford Street
Newcastle NSW 2300
PO Box 394
Newcastle NSW 2300

Tel +61 2 4914 6900
Fax +61 2 4914 6999

 

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canberra

Level 9, 2 Phillip Law Street
Canberra ACT 2601

Tel +61 2 6243 3699
Fax +61 2 8241 5699

 

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