Private Clients

 
We are a leading wills, estates and succession planning, and wills and estates litigation firm ranked in Chambers High Net Worth 2021-2023 for private wealth law.
Our Private Clients team are praised for being ‘exceptionally responsive and quick to come back to you’ and having ‘very strong capabilities in handling complex and sophisticated matters’ – Chambers High Net Worth 2023.

We advise private clients, including business owners, high net worth individuals and families. We are mindful of the often emotional nature of dealing with a client’s personal affairs and are skilled at navigating all relevant issues with sensitivity to achieve the desired and appropriate outcomes.

In the globalised world we now live in, many Australians either acquire assets overseas or have originally come from another country and may retain assets in their country of birth. In this video, Partner James Whiley discusses the problems this can cause from an estate planning perspective, potentially with different laws applying to different assets, and also complex tax issues. This first video in our new series considers Australian tax issues, and also US and UK estate taxes.

Our team’s extensive experience includes:

Key contacts

William Moore

Partner & Head of Private Clients Advisory

William specialises in helping clients work through their personal and business succession planning and achieve their goals.

Emma Woolley

Partner & Head of Family Office Advisory

Emma has extensive experience advising clients in estate planning/administration, succession, trust structures and disputes.

James specialises in estate and succession planning for high-net-worth clients in Australia, the UK, Europe, the US and Asia.

Related thinking

Private Clients| 04 Mar 2024

US citizenship or assets? Don’t risk excess estate tax on your death

We delve into how being a US citizen affects taxes, cover transfer tax considerations for both US and non-US citizens and provide practical tips for reducing tax liabilities.

Private Clients| 23 Feb 2024

How to obtain executor commission?

Executors’ commission involves an executor of a Will obtaining remuneration for the administration of a deceased’s estate.

Private Clients| 09 Feb 2024

Trusts: to vary or not to vary

We outline the key issues if you’re considering varying or amending a trust deed, and provide some practical examples.

Private Clients| 25 Jan 2024

The Pickering Family Trusts: no variation power… no options?

We examine the recent landmark decision in Re The Pickering Family Trusts, which highlights alternatives for trusts lacking variation powers, showcasing the court's use of Trustee Act powers.