An experienced estate planning solicitor with over thirteen years of experience
Susan has a wealth of experience assisting a wide variety of clients, including high net wealth individuals and families, elderly and unwell clients, and clients with vulnerable or disabled beneficiaries, with their estate planning. Her work involves partnering with key professionals such as financial advisors and co-trustees and Susan has honed her skills in working collaboratively to best meet the needs of her clients.
In addition to her legal expertise Susan has strong presentation and written communication skills with extensive experience in preparing and delivering presentations to clients and key industry stakeholders together offering her time to support the training and mentoring of law students.
Susan’s Wills & Estates Law legal skills and expertise includes:
- Meeting and advising clients on:
- Appropriate estate planning solutions to meet every unique situation.
- Succession of estate and non-estate assets
- Suitable trust structures, where applicable, including testamentary discretionary trusts, protective trusts, life interests, special disability trusts and charitable trusts
- Preparing simple and complex estate planning documents, including Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney, Appointments of Medical Treatment Decision Makers, and Binding Death Benefit Nominations.
- Reviewing Self-Managed Superannuation Fund and Family Trust Deeds for succession purposes
- Reviewing and updating precedent legal documents and correspondence
- Providing advice to external Financial Advisers and Solicitors on estate planning and trustee services.
- Start-to-finish administration of estates, including preparation of simple and complex probate applications, management of estate and trust assets, and distribution to beneficiaries.
Susan's Approach
Susan believes in working closely with her clients to get an in-depth appreciation of their values, their personal circumstances, their assets, and what they hope to achieve with their estate planning. Susan understands that end-of-life planning and putting necessary protections in place to take care of loved ones can be a daunting and emotional process. It is an avenue of law best handled with care and certainty to ensure that legal processes are followed, and the client’s wishes are ultimately respected.
Qualifications
Qualifications
- 2012 Admitted to the Victorian Supreme Court
- 2003 Bachelor of Laws | Bachelor of Arts (Sociology), Australian National University
Professional Memberships
- Law Institute of Victoria
- The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, Victoria
