Join this advanced, practice-focused intensive focus your approach to Family Provision claims in NSW. Across four presentations, leading succession law practitioners unpack the latest decision trends, the interplay between family provision and estoppel/other equitable remedies, strategic use of notional estate orders, and how persuasively address what is “adequate and proper provision.”

Presenters

John Armfield, Barrister & Mediator , Two Wentworth Chambers
John has been practicing at the NSW Bar for 44 years as counsel in wills and estates matters and related litigation. He has long been recognised in Doyles Guide as a leading junior counsel in 2015, 2017-2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 as a pre-eminent and recommended leading wills and estates junior counsel. His particular expertise spans family provision law, testamentary capacity, informal wills, estoppel in estate litigation and the rights of beneficiaries to obtain information in relation to the administration of trusts. Approachable as he is, his colleagues and members of the broader legal profession have come to rely on John’s guidance, counsel and assistance to resolve complex wills & estates matters. John is an accredited mediator. He is approached to act as mediator and instructed as counsel to appear for parties in more than 100 mediations a year. For the most part, he achieves an inordinate number of settlements either as Counsel, or as mediator assisting parties to reach a result they find acceptable in their circumstances. John is a regular legal conference speaker including STEP, the Blue Mountains Conference, Ten The Education Network and other various legal education channels together with his own Floor’s conference.

Daniel Yazdani, Barrister,13th Floor St James Hall
Daniel Yazdani was admitted to the Bar in May 2022. Prior to his admission, from 2020 to April 2022, Daniel was Tipstaff (and, during most of 2021, Acting Associate) to the Hon. Justice Lindsay, who is the Protective List Judge and was for many years also the Probate List Judge, sitting in the Equity Division of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. Prior to his roles in the NSW Supreme Court, Daniel practised as a solicitor in Perth in contentious probate, family provision, and general equity litigation, as well as non-contentious probate, estate planning and conveyancing. Daniel has tutored in both Contract Law and Succession Law units at the University of Western Australia and has previously presented in Legalwise, STEP and Law Society of WA seminars.

Alisa Green, Barrister, 13th Floor St James Hall Chambers
Alisa Green was admitted as a solicitor in 2017 and was called to the Bar in May 2023. Prior to her admission to the Bar, Alisa practiced as a solicitor at Glass Goodwin. She also worked as Tipstaff to the Succession List Judge in the Equity Division of the Supreme Court of NSW, the Hon. Justice Hallen. Alisa was recognised as a wills and estates law rising star in the 2021 edition of the Doyle’s Guide. Alisa practices in wills and estates (including contested probate and family provision matters), protective matters and general equity. Alisa holds a Juris Doctor, Bachelor of Science with Honours (Psychology) and a Master of Psychology (Forensic), all from the University of New South Wales.

Renee Bianchi, Barrister, 13th Floor St James Hall Chambers
Renée Bianchi was admitted as a solicitor in 2008 and commenced practice as a barrister in 2013. She graduated from the University of Newcastle with a Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Honours) in 2004 and a Bachelor of Laws/Diploma of Legal Practice in 2007. Since being at the Bar, Renée has built up a diverse practice in equity, common law, and commercial matters. She particularly specialises in wills and estates, general commercial law, and professional negligence. Doyle’s Guide has listed her in its Wills and Estates Litigation Leading Lawyers list since 2016, as Preeminent Junior Counsel in this area in NSW and Leading Junior Counsel in Australia since 2024. Renée is currently President of Australian Women Lawyers, Chair of the B Miles Women’s Foundation, and Co-Vice Chair of the Women Barristers Forum. She is also a member of the Law Council of Australia’s Equal Opportunity Committee and NSW Bar Association’s Succession and Protective Law Committee. She is a Past President of NSW Young Lawyers and the Women Lawyers Association of New South Wales, and a Past Chair of the Young Lawyers Committee of the Law Council of Australia. Renée is a member of the NSW and ACT Bar Associations.

Paul Evans, Special Counsel, Bridges Lawyers
Paul Evans specialises in wills and estate planning, disputes to wills, protecting assets for future generations and estate administration. Paul lived in London for 18 years and during that time specialised in inheritance tax mitigation and also acted for charities. He worked at National Australia Trustees Limited (part of NAB Private Wealth) where he was Manager Northern States, Estate Planning. He is a regular speaker on Wills and Estate Law.