Join leading wills and estates specialists for a practical update on the key challenges shaping contested estate litigation in 2026. Explore complex issues including control of trusts, estoppel, executor disputes and capacity assessments, along with the year’s most significant succession law decisions. Gain practical ‘how to’ skills on managing multiple claims, navigating ethical dilemmas and using AI effectively in estate practice.

Presenters

Dr Karen Bird, Lawyer and Clinical Neuropsychologist, Karen Bird Legal
Dr Karen Bird is a practicing lawyer and clinical neuropsychologist. She has developed a unique and valuable skillset in the fields of elder law and legal capacity. Karen has a deep commitment to improving the lives of older and vulnerable adults, including those experiencing abuse. She is a strong communicator and advocate, focusing on solutions that enable her clients to achieve satisfying and sustainable outcomes.

Bree Ridgeway, Barrister, Jarndyce Chambers
Bree has a general commercial and common law practice, with a focus on Wills and Estates. Prior to coming to the Bar, Bree was Associate to His Honour Justice Moore. Bree assisted His Honour in complex estate disputes in the Trusts Equity and Probate List and a broad range of trials in the Common Law Division. Before her associateship, Bree was an Accredited Specialist in Wills & Estates at Moores. As a solicitor, Bree worked in contested estates, including constructive trust claims, executor removal applications, testators family maintenance proceedings and judicial advice applications. Bree has a Master of Bioethics with research focussing on decision making capacity and euthanasia and sits on the Human Research Ethics Committee at Walter + Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Bree was named Recommended Junior Counsel on the Doyle’s Guide to Leading Wills & Estates Litigation Barristers – Melbourne 2025.

Tim Staindl, Barrister, Greens List
Tim has a broad practice across the common, commercial and administrative law. He has particular expertise in equity, trusts and probate. Prior to the Bar, Tim was Senior Lawyer of the Personal Injuries, Institutional Liability, Dust Diseases and Civil Circuit Lists at the Supreme Court of Victoria. Before this, he was Associate to the Honourable Justices McMillan and Gorton. He assisted their Honours in all types of matters within the Common Law Trial Division. Tim began his career as a solicitor at a boutique firm in Hawthorn. Tim is reading with Roslyn Kaye SC and his senior mentor is Georgina Costello KC.

Paul Beasant, Principal Lawyer, KCL Law
Paul is a principal lawyer at KCL Law’s Estate Group, representing clients in complex litigated matters involving contested wills, estate disputes, and trust disputes. He has extensive experience advising families and individuals on all aspects of wills, estates, and trust-related matters. Paul has a particular expertise in matters involving capacity disputes, including disputes regarding the validity of wills, undue influence, and guardianship and administration matters, including applications to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal for the appointment or revocation of guardians, administrators, and attorneys. He regularly handles litigation on behalf of individuals with disabilities and provides advice on financial abuse and elder law issues, breaches of duties by attorneys, and VCAT and estate administration. Paul has been recognised in the Doyle's Estates & Litigation Guide as a leading wills and estates litigation lawyer in Victoria since 2021.

Lachlan McKenzie, Practice Leader, Moores
Lachlan McKenzie is a Practice Leader in the Estate Planning & Probate team at Moores. Lachlan leads the management of the estate administration and litigation arm of that team and is accredited by the Law Institute of Victoria as a specialist in Wills & Estates. A range of clients including charities, trustee companies and professional executors rely on Lachlan’s advice in relation to an array of wills and estates matters. He has vast experience in contested estate matters at the Supreme Court and in the guardianship list at VCAT. In 2018 & 2019, Lachlan’s expertise in this area was recognized by his peers in being named by Doyle’s Guide as a Leading Wills & Estates Litigation lawyer in Victoria. In addition to studying to obtain a Bachelor of Laws, Lachlan also obtained a Bachelor of Behavioural Science, which assists his understanding of the complex relationships that often underlie estate disputes. His clients appreciate his ability to distil complex information and his practical and commercially-minded advice.

Ines Kallweit, Principal Lawyer, KHQ Lawyers
Ines Kallweit leads the Wills & Estates team at KHQ Lawyers. She is an Accredited Specialist in Wills & Estates (with the Law Institute of Victoria) and Notary Public. She is also a member of the Society of Trust and Estates Practitioners. Ines advises clients in all areas of estate planning, estate administration and estate litigation. Ines’ practice ranges from estate planning, the preparation of wills and powers of attorney to complex estate administration and estate litigation. Her broad knowledge in this area and solutions-focused approach allows her to assist clients with the preparation of comprehensive estate plans and the administration of complex estates. Her estate litigation work involves both defending estates and representing individuals in resolution of disputes involving wills, property, estate and guardianship matters. Ines’ expertise includes succession planning and asset structuring, advice in relation to and preparation of powers of attorney, appointment of medical treatment decision makers and advanced care directives. She also looks after applications for grants of probate and letters of administration, guardianship & administration matters (including VCAT appearances), will and trust disputes, family provision claims (seeking further provision from deceased estates) and resealing international & interstate grants of probate. Her expertise also includes charitable gifts & cy-prés applications, and complex estate administration (including as court appointed administrator). Ines also has a keen interest in promoting legal education. She has a Master of Teaching and is a former adjunct lecturer at the College of Law. She speaks for various professional development providers including the Law Institute of Victoria, Leo Cussen Institute and Television Education Network. Ines is a native German speaker. Ines is widely regarded as one of the country’s leading practitioners in this area of law, and has been recognised as a preeminent Wills & Estates Litigation Lawyer for Victoria in Doyles Guide for ten consecutive years (2015-2025).

Dr Philip Bender, Barrister, List A Barristers
Dr Philip Bender is a barrister practising in various areas of commercial and property law, including taxation, superannuation, and trusts. Philip is also a Nationally Accredited Mediator, a Chartered Accountant and a sessional member of an administrative tribunal. In the trusts area, he has acted in matters that involve will/trust deed interpretation, trustee/executor removal applications, breach of trustee/executor duties cases, taxation/duty disputes, and judicial advice. He has also advised and acted in a number of disputes involving charitable trusts, including for the Victorian Attorney-General.


Greg Russo, Principal Solicitor, Greg Russo Law
Greg Russo has almost 30 years’ experience in succession planning, administration and litigation and is one of Victoria’s most experienced and respected succession law solicitors. With a background in pure mathematics, Greg not only understands the implications of planning decisions on future taxation, SMSF, trust and estate administration, he is also able to break down complex concepts and structures logically and explain options to clients in a way that empowers them to take positive action and ownership for their decisions. Using the knowledge and insights that he has acquired over three decades, he crafts unique solutions to complex succession problems. Greg teaches both mathematics and law, regularly presents CPD succession events to solicitors, accountants and other professionals in Victoria, Queensland, and online. Greg is an LIV Wills & Estates Accredited Specialist, a chairperson of the LIV Specialist Accreditation Education Advisory Committee, a board member of the Mount Eliza Community Bank, a member of STEP, and is recognised in Doyle’s Guide, in Victoria, as a Leading Wills and Estates Litigation Lawyer and a Leading Wills, Estates and Succession Planning Lawyer.

Fiona McLay, Legal Ai Solutions Advisor, Thomson Reuters
Fiona has spent the past 25 years as a dispute resolution lawyer working across the legal industry in top tier, mid-tier, small firm, a NewLaw firm and in-house. She has an insider’s view as to how firms across the industry are actually using (or not using) tech. Long hours, inefficient processes and constant pressure to do more with less drove her to find ways to use tech to work more efficiently. With no budget, no IT support and (possibly because of) no innovation committee, she discovered how powerful a tech-enabled lawyer could be in litigation up against a much better resourced opponent. And with a significantly reduced risk of paper cuts. She regularly presents to lawyers on how to adopt new ways of working. She is the author of Tech Enabled Lawyer: to making the most out of the tools you have and spotting the tech you need.

Rachael Hocking, Principal Solicitor, KHQ Lawyers
Rachael acts in all areas of Wills and Estates, including estate planning, administration and litigation and is also actively involved in trust, superannuation and family disputes. Rachael appreciates the sensitivity for many people in this area and works with her clients to ensure that they feel comfortable and well informed. Her role is to assist clients through each stage of the process with compassion, understanding and discretion. Rachael acts on behalf of individuals, families, trustees, trustee companies and businesses in all aspects of litigation concerning deceased estates, testator’s family maintenance claims, superannuation (including self-managed superannuation funds), VCAT guardianship list matters, Trusts, construction proceedings, property disputes, applications by trustees, and capacity.

Simon Pitt KC, Greens List
Although he has a broad commercial trial-based practice, Simon specialises in complex litigation in the Trusts, Equity and Probate List of the Supreme Court, usually involving questions regarding deceased estates, family trusts, superannuation, the Corporations Act or testamentary capacity. Simon regularly prepares and presents papers in wills and estates; trusts, equity and probate; commercial litigation and Supreme Court practice and procedure. Simon is available to advise and appear in all State and Federal jurisdictions.

Paul D Reynolds, Barrister, Young’s List
Paul practises primarily in commercial law, with a particular interest in equity and trusts. Paul also practises in wills and probate, drawing on his experience as Associate to the Hon Justice McMillan. After serving as her Honour's Associate, Paul was Associate to the Reserve Judges, assisting the Hon Justices Ashley, Bongiorno AO and Coghlan in a range of civil and criminal matters in the Court of Appeal, and in criminal matters in the Trial Division. Prior to coming to the Bar, Paul worked at Hausfeld & Co LLP, a claimant law firm in London, on a large financial services matter, and then at Linklaters LLP, London, in the Competition team. Paul graduated from the University of Melbourne with a BA/LLB, receiving the top marks in Restitution and Corporations Law. Paul also holds a Master’s in Ancient Philosophy from the University of Oxford. Paul has tutored at Ormond College in Remedies, Obligations, Dispute Resolution, and Trusts. Paul read with Michael Rush SC. His Senior Mentor is the Hon Justice Wheelahan.

Eleanor Coates, Barrister, Greens List
Eleanor Coates was admitted to practice in 2000 and signed the bar roll in October 2012. Prior to coming to the bar Eleanor had a broad practice, leading the wills and estates department at Kenna Teasdale Lawyers. Eleanor has vast experience in Testator's Family Maintenance claims together with broader Probate cases including caveat proceedings, proof of informal Wills and other such complex Probate applications. Eleanor regularly undertakes the role of mediator, having completed her accreditation as a Mediator in December 2010, becoming nationally accredited in 2011. She was described by the assessors as "a natural mediator". Eleanor is also a member of the Single List of External Mediators ("SLEM") with the Magistrates' Court of Victoria. Eleanor has also had extensive experience in criminal practice. She appears and advises in Occupational Health and Safety matters as defence counsel. As a solicitor, she has been involved in criminal defence work on behalf of The Police Association in defence of members charged with serious criminal offences, officers giving evidence at coronial inquests and also appearing at the Office of Police Integrity as well as private client defence work. Eleanor also appears in the Coroner's Court where she is able to make use of Science degree in understanding medical and scientific evidence. Eleanor has a Bachelor of Science (Pharmacology) and Bachelor of Laws with Honours. Whilst at Monash University Eleanor was awarded both the Butterworths Prize and the Baldwins Prize for Wills and Probate and was on the winning team of the Governor General's Moot (1997). Eleanor is on the Victoria Legal Aid Preferred Trial Counsel List and a member of the Society for Estate and Trust Practitioners. Eleanor was named Recommended Junior Counsel on the Doyle's Guide to Leading Wills & Estates Litigation Barristers - Melbourne, 2015 and Preeminent Junior Counsel on the Doyle's Guide to Leading Wills & Estates Litigation Barristers - Melbourne, 2016.