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Will has been recognised in the 2024 and 2023 Doyle’s Guide Rankings as Leading in Family Law and Recommended in High Value and Complex Family Law property matters. This is the 6th consecutive year Will has been listed in the Doyle’s Guide.
Will is an Australian qualified Lawyer, working exclusively in Family Law. Between 2005 – 2010 Will worked for the English firm Dentons – the world’s largest law firm – having been based principally in the Middle East and Japan.
Following his return to Australia, Will shifted the focus of his practice to Family Law exclusively. His robust and comprehensive regulatory skill set, developed abroad, when combined with his empathetic and sensitive nature, sees Will perfectly placed to assist parties in the completion of their Family Law financial settlement.
Having developed his technical abilities in cross-border commercial practice, Will is particularly strong on advising clients on the division of relationship asset pools that are complex in their structure. This includes those involving trusts (being family trusts, unit trusts and associated corporate vehicles) and commercial assets. Will chooses to not ignore the reality of trusts/corporate structuring when advising clients on their Family Law rights and obligations.
He looks for ways to maintain the sanctity of business/commercial assets whilst ensuring the financial relationship between a separating couple is brought to an end. He is relentless in his pursuit of identifying assets and/or protecting them. At the same time, he is quick to advise when that exercise is superfluous to a party’s needs and will only serve to increase levels of acrimony and costs. This forthright and deliberate approach provides clients with comfort knowing they will receive/retain their full Family Law financial entitlement. He aims to be systematic and strategic in ensuring this takes place as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Given his background in drafting commercial agreements, Will has a unique and complete competency in drafting Binding Financial Agreements (“BFAs”). He sees BFAs as a real opportunity to give certainty to individuals, their families and any third party business partners by quarantining family assets/commercial interests/Trust assets against a relationship breakdown. Will also understands a BFA’s capacity to be utilised to protect a party’s inheritance entitlements and promote their succession planning objectives. Will has a particular experience in this complex area of law. He is currently advising: (i) families participating in succession planning by securing the family business assets and trust assets from any separation events involving children and grandchildren, who now have fundamental roles in the business ownership structure and operations; and (ii) participants in new commercial enterprises by securing the relevant business assets from being captured as ‘relationship property’ should a shareholder/participant separate from their personal relationship.
A lateral thinker, Will has also forged a reputation assisting third parties entrenched in Family Law disputes including not for profit organisations; business partners of separating couples; and Trustees in Bankruptcy.
As an extension to his capacity to advise parties on their Family Law property entitlements, Will also assists his clients in finalising the parenting arrangements for children of a relationship that has come to an end. He does this carefully and with due consideration to the sensitivities involved with lawyers having to assist parties in determining the ongoing arrangements for their children’s care. He ensures that an appropriate level of diligence and strategy is applied to protecting his clients’ rights on parenting matters. He takes whatever steps are necessary to achieve a client’s objectives in this regard.
The 2024 listing of leading Victorian Family Lawyers (High-Value & Complex Property Matters) details individuals who have been specifically highlighted not only for their expertise generally in family law matters but also for their ability and track record in matters where the contested net asset pool is significant (i.e. in excess of AUD $50 million) or there are complex commercial, property, estate planning and taxation matters that need to be taken in to account as part of the overall resolution process. These lawyers should also be viewed as having particular expertise in preparing Binding Financial Agreements for individuals and families with significant net worth.
