Summary
Christine Smyth, Partner Robbins Watson Solicitors leads a team of 30+. With more 10000 highly skilled solicitors in Queensland, it can be difficult to distinguish yourself. Christine Smyth has done this. In 2009 Christine was among a handful who achieved the coveted qualification of Accredited Specialist in Succession Law. The Queensland Law Society Accredited Specialist program is a rigorous peer reviewed testing program designed to identify extraordinary skills in specialist areas of law. With a legal career spanning over 20 years, Christine is a passionate advocate. As a dedicated member of the Queensland Law Society, Christine's leadership contributions include, Chair Corporate Governance committee, member of Succession, Proctor, and Symposium planning committees. Christine has also served on the WLAQ and STEP (Qld) management committees.
A highly regarded succession law expert, widely published, Christine’s expertise is sought after as a presenter for QLS conferences, and other industry bodies. In 2013 LexisNexis recognised Christine as one of their Top 10 Influential Women. Christine's leadership has resulted in her being nominated for the Queensland Law Society President’s Medal and WLAQ's Woman Lawyer of the Year. Christine believes professionalism hinges on integrity and collegiality. Passionate about Succession Law, Christine has built a reputation as one of Queensland’s foremost experts in wills and estates. In 2015 her expertise and specialised skills were further recognised by the prestigious Doyles Guide, naming Christine Smyth as Queensland’s Leading Wills & Estate Litigation Lawyers.
Her firm Robbins Watson Solicitors has a heritage dating back to 1958 and is one of the Gold Coast's oldest and most respected law firms. Its core approach blends state of the art technology and flexible work practices, while honouring tradition and experience to achieve ethically grounded business viability, delivering legal services that are "creative, intelligent and tenacious". Client centric, Robbins Watson provides clients a full suite of services - including wills & estate planning, estate administration, estate and elder law litigation. We also provide expert family law, litigation, commercial and conveyancing law, franchising, and business law, and structuring services including:- trusts, partnerships, companies and self managed superannuation funds.
Among our partners, we hold memberships with STEP, Franchise Council of Australia, Family Law Council, ALPMA, Associate of the Tax Institute of Australia and Membership of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. In an era where the legal profession is facing unprecedented changes to the purchase and delivery of legal service, we are fortunate our Managing Partner Andrew Smyth has expertise in computer technology and related legal issues, enabling us to meet modern demands on legal practice. We attend to client needs, in person, telephone conference facilities, email, and Skype.
Practice Areas
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Trust
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Trustee duties
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Trust deed
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Charitable trusts
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Creating or amending a will
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Power of Attorney
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Death intestate
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Executor duties
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Probate
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Wills & estates disputes
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Advocacy
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Guardianship
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Capacity and informed consent
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Mental health
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Mental Health Tribunal
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Family court
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Marriage legal rights
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Pre-nuptual agreements
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Apply for a divorce
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Child custody, contact and visitation
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Child support and maintanance
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Guardianship
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Parenting orders
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Domestic violence
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Family Violence Intervention Orders
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Apprehended Violence Orders
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Experience
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Robbins Watson Solicitors
Partner
January, 1998 - Present
PARTNER IN CHARGE INHERITANCE LAW DIVISION
Expertise across multiple jurisdictions in:-
DECEASED ESTATES - Probate; Letters of Administration; Reseals; Caveats - Administration - small to multi million dollar estates and testamentary discretionary trusts - Instigating and defending estate litigation court work/disputes
ESTATE/WILL CHALLENGES - Family Provision Applications; Construction & Rectification Applications; Applications for removal of executors/administrators; estate accounting; - Trust related disputes - interpretation; enforcement - Equitable Claims - constructive/resulting trusts; undue influence/unconscionable conduct; restitution;unjust enrichment; accounting - Superannuation claims - QCAT proceedings in relation to powers of attorney and incapacity - Ademption & compensation
ESTATE PLANNING - Wills, including testamentary trusts; complex drafting & Statutory Wills for incapacitated testators; - Powers of attorney - general & enduring with specialist provisions - Blended families and family law issues - Superannuation nominations - Strategies to reduce risk of challenges to Wills/Estates - Facilitating planning conferences to negotiate succession - Structuring of estates, SMSFs and trusts to achieve desired succession outcomes;
BUSINESS SUCCESSION - Preparation of Buy/Sell, shareholder and unitholder agreements - Advising on various issues, including trigger events, terms, etc
SELF MANAGED SUPERANNUATION FUNDS - Establishment of self managed superfunds - Death benefit nominations - Death benefit strategies-Fund management on death or incapacity of trustee - Dealing with lost deeds and trust deed disputes - Dealing with Superannuation Complaints Tribunal and Financial Ombudsman Service disputes
TRUSTS - Establishment of new trusts (discretionary, unit, etc) - Amendment of deeds - Lost trust deeds - Trust disputes - Succession planning following incapacity or death of key persons - Asset protection
Education
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Queensland Law Society
Accredited Specialist - Succession Law
2009 - 2009
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Queensland University of Technology
Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice
1995 - 1996
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Queensland University of Technology
Bachelor of Laws
1990 - 1994
Location
12/2 Executive Drive, Executive Place Burleigh Waters, Gold Coast Queensland
Virtual Practice
Practising Certificate
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Queensland, Australia
20 years held
Languages
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English
Proficient
Certifications
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2015 - Leading Wills and Estate Litigation Lawyer
Queensland, Doyles Guide
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TEP
Queensland, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
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Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
Queensland, Australian Institute of Company Directors
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Associate Member Taxation Institute of Australia
Queensland, Taxation Institute Australia
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Accredited Specialist - Succession Law
Queensland, Queensland Law Society