Nicole Treacey

Expertise

Nicole is a Special Counsel within our Disputes Resolution and Litigation group. She is an experienced succession lawyer, with several years of experience across probate & estate administration, complex estate and business succession planning and estate litigation.

Nicole collaborates with advisors to ensure all parties are working together to achieve the same goals and objectives for her clients’ wealth protection when it transfers to the next generation.

Nicole has developed a strong following of clients who work in the medical profession, as she understands the time-pressures they face and the complexity of their structures. Nicole is known by her clients for being accessible and making the estate planning process easier.

Nicole’s experience in winding up businesses and medical practices on a key person’s death means she knows what businesses need to do to prepare to safeguard against disruption on the death of a key person. Her experience also means Nicole knows the critical steps that need to be taken in the event of an unexpected death of a key person.

Nicole has a strong profile with clients on the Gold Coast and is on the Gold Coast on a regular basis, and her time spent working in New South Wales makes it easier to service clients who are just across the border.

Experience

Nicole's experience includes the following:

Estate administration and crisis management

administering an estate on the sudden death of a key person in a large construction company that was mid-way through a large project, including issues such as accessing bank accounts, payroll, advice on director duties, licensing issues with regulator and continuity of the business
winding up medical practices
probate applications
insurance claims.

Estate planning

being involved in a number of complex family business succession transactions to achieve overall fairness between family members (particularly factoring in the rights of the children who have worked in the business)
establishing Special Disability Trusts
advice on asset protection
all aspects of estate planning including testamentary trust Wills and Enduring Powers of Attorney and Binding Death Benefit nominations
business succession deeds (buy-sell) and shareholder agreements.

Estate litigation

proof in Solemn Form Application by an adult son who claimed his mother did not understand English when she signed her Will, despite having lived in Australia for over 40 years
recovery of monies withdrawn from bank accounts under an Enduring Power of Attorney that had not been properly accounted for
clawing back assets into an estate that had been gifted under duress/undue influence
constructive trust/promissory estoppel settlement – promises made to leave property on death but then failed to do so
New South Wales family provision application involving overseas assets
dispute over the construction and interpretation of a Will (NSW).

Upcoming Seminars

14 May 25 to 14 May 25

Special Counsel - Brisbane

Areas of Expertise

Contact Nicole