Uncover the latest developments in family provision claims and walk away with a comprehensive toolkit to manage your litigious matters. You will explore cases involving adult children and analyse the relevance of estrangement and expert evidence. Assess the de facto threshold in FPA claims and explore estate planning considerations. Evaluate practicalities in FPC by investigating strategic considerations and client management. Dive into complex executor and administrator issues.

Presenters

Ms. Elmi Carlean, Barrister, Francis Burt Chambers
Elmi Carlean has been a member of the Western Australian Bar Association practicing from Francis Burt Chambers in Perth since 2015. Prior to joining the bar, Elmi practiced in Brisbane between 2004 and 2009 where she was involved in a wide range of commercial litigation, insurance claims and corporate governance matters. From 2009 to 2015 she acted as in-house legal counsel in the Public Sector for the Departments of Water, Environment, and Transport, respectively, and has expertise in resources disputes, particularly in the water sector and mining industry. Elmi has particular expertise as an advocate, and has appeared as Counsel in all State and Federal Courts and Tribunals. She has a strong interest in mediation and commercial negotiation, having completed training both as a mediator and in commercial arbitration. Elmi practices predominantly in commercial litigation, taxation law, deceased estates, family law, employment law and migration law. She has a Maritime Law LLM from the University of Queensland and has acted in a number of shipping matters as well as several aviation claims. She is an adjunct lecturer for the College of Law, has published a number of articles in various legal publications and presented papers and training courses at numerous CPD events in WA. Elmi regularly contributes to the profession by way of acting pro bono on worthy matters and volunteering her time in order to mentor students.


Mr. Rein Squires, Barrister, Francis Burt Chambers
Rein is a commercial barrister with experience in the areas of contract law, property rights, guardianship and administration matters and the administration of trusts and deceased estates. Rein has been listed as a leading and recommended barrister in Western Australia in Doyle’s Guide for Wills & Estates Litigation (2024 and 2023, respectively). He is a committee member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners of Western Australia (STEP WA) and chairs its policy sub-committee. Rein is also a member of the national policy committee of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners Australia Limited (STEP Australia).


Ms. Heather Williams, Director and Principal Solicitor, Sunstone Legal
Heather Williams is the Director and Principal Solicitor at Sunstone Legal. The name, Sunstone Legal, comes from Nordic mythology where Viking sailors used sunstones on a cloudy day to detect the position of the Sun to navigate the seas. As lawyers, our education and experience means we can be that guiding light for our clients to help them safely navigate their legal matter. In Heather's practice she provides advice and assistance to Perth business owners, private clients and complex families on their succession planning, deceased estates, business contracts and employment matters. Heather is also an Associate Lecturer at Curtin Law School and a supervisor at the John Curtin Law Clinic, a pro bono clinic for law students to gain real client experience under the supervision of practising lawyers as part of their law degree. Heather has commerce and law degrees from the University of Notre Dame, a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from Bond University and a Masters in Law from the University of Western Australia.


Ms. Kellie Woods, Managing Associate, Dentons Australia
Kellie’s practice includes legal costs, deceased estate and Family Provision Act matters, trusts, corporate and commercial litigation and dispute resolution, and insolvency. Before being elected to the Bar, Kellie worked in commercial litigation and recoveries and restructuring, most recently as a Managing Associate at Dentons Australia. Kellie has a wide range of litigation experience having appeared as Counsel in the Magistrates, District, and Supreme Court and State Administrative Tribunal in addition to appearing regularly in the Federal Court and Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Kellie is known for her thorough and accurate legal advice and her eye for attention to detail. She has advised a wide range of individual, commercial and corporate clients, providing a solution-focussed, commercial and pragmatic approach. In addition to her legal work, Kellie is a member of the Law Society Council, the Law Society Costs Committee and enjoys giving back to the legal community by preparing articles, presenting at CPD events and coaching Law Society Mock Trial students. In 2019, Kellie was the State’s Highest Achiever in the Australian Restructuring Insolvency & Turnaround Association’s (ARITA) Fundamentals of Insolvency qualification.


Mr. Craig Gregson, Practice Director, Gregson & Associates
Craig was admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Western Australia in November of 2011. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Edith Cowan University (WA) and a Masters of Applied Law majoring in Wills and Estates Practice (LLM)(NSW) from the College of Law. Craig is a current Ph.D candidate at the University of Western Australia in Succession law reform. His thesis focuses on Avoidance of Family Provision Law in Australia and Notional Property. Craig is a part time member of Mental Health Tribunal (a jurisdiction which hears reviews of involuntary treatment orders and other applications made under the Mental Health Act 2014 (WA).