Are you ready to tackle the complex, high-stakes world of SMSF succession planning with confidence?
This two-hour intensive workshop is designed for lawyers, accountants, and financial advisers who are serious about mastering the nuances of SMSF succession. Through real-life case studies and deep practical insights, you’ll explore the legal, financial, and strategic dimensions of guiding clients through both pre-death estate administration and post-death benefit management.
From identifying risk and avoiding pitfalls to structuring smart, future-focused solutions, this is your opportunity to sharpen your expertise and deliver real value where it matters most.
What You’ll Gain:
- A deep dive into real-world SMSF succession challenges
- Practical guidance on navigating pre- and post-death complexities
- Actionable strategies to minimise risk and maximise client outcomes
- Expert tips to help you add meaningful value to your advisory services
Tuesday, 24 February 2026
Early Bird Discount ends 19 Dec 2025
11.15am to 12.15pm Case Study 2: Death Benefit Management
Understand the practicalities and legal obligations of managing death benefits, including:
- Trustee responsibilities
- Death benefit decisions
- Reversionary beneficiaries
- Binding nominations
- Types of benefit payments
- Relevance of the transfer balance cap
- Dealing with illiquid assets
- Division 296 tax considerations
- Beneficiary disputes
You’ll walk away with a toolkit of strategies, checklists, and planning frameworks you can immediately apply in practice.
Why You Should Attend:
- Ensure compliance while navigating legal grey areas
- Protect your clients from costly mistakes and disputes
- Position yourself as a trusted expert in SMSF succession
- Stay up to date with current thinking and legal precedents
Meet Your Expert Presenters:
Greg Russo
Principal Lawyer, Greg Russo Lawyers
– Doyle’s Guide Leading Wills and Estates Litigation Lawyer
– Leading Wills, Estates & Succession Planning Lawyer
Tracey Norris
Partner, Pitcher Partners
– Fellow, Chartered Accountants ANZ
– CAANZ SMSF Specialist
These highly regarded SMSF specialists will guide you through the technical and practical complexities of succession planning with insights drawn from decades of real-world experience.
Who Should Attend:
- Estate planning and succession lawyers
- SMSF accountants and auditors
- Financial planners working with SMSF clients
- Any professional seeking to strengthen their SMSF advisory offering
Description
Attend and earn 2 CPD units in Substantive Law
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
Don’t miss this high-value, practical session designed to help you deliver better advice, reduce risk, and enhance client outcomes in one of the most complex areas of SMSF law.
10.00am to 11.00am Case Study 1: Pre-Death SMSF Administration
Explore the legal and strategic issues that arise when planning succession during a member’s lifetime, and how to future-proof against common complications, including:
- Assessing the suitability of an SMSF, and exploring other options
- Compliance tips and traps
- Succession of control
- Scoping the professional retainer
11.00am to 11.15am Break
WORKSHOP FOCUS AREA
Presenters
Tracey Norris, Principal Lawyer, Pitcher Partners
Tracey brings over 25 years of experience in public practice, working closely with family groups and SMEs to navigate the complexities of taxation and superannuation. Her approach is grounded in delivering practical, commercially sound outcomes that align with clients’ life and business goals. Tracey’s expertise spans SMSF compliance and audits, asset restructures involving superannuation—whether due to life events, business sales, or acquisitions—retirement planning, estate administration, family law superannuation splits, and investment strategies using compliant superannuation structures. Tracey also provides expert reports for legal counsel in court proceedings. As a licensed adviser under the Pitcher Partners Australian Financial Services Licence, Tracey combines technical precision with strategic insight. Her contributions to the profession have been recognised with finalist nominations for SMSF Adviser of the Year at the Women in Finance Awards in both 2021 and 2022. Qualifications & Memberships: Bachelor of Commerce (JCU), Advanced Diploma of Financial Services (Superannuation), Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ), CAANZ SMSF Specialist.
Greg Russo, Principal Lawyer, Greg Russo Lawyers
Greg 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.
