Turner Freeman’s wills and estates team are some of the most experienced professionals in their fields. Supported by a mix of specialist and highly skilled partners and solicitors, we deliver legal representation that is second to none. Our team also includes a Law Society Accredited Specialist who brings extended knowledge and years of experience to the table.
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Terence Goldberg
Terry joined Turner Freeman in June 1986 as a solicitor and became a Partner in May 1995. Terry has a vast amount of experience in Estate Litigation and has assisted many clients through what is usually a very difficult time for them. His clients appreciate his commitment and dedication to their claims and his ability to explain the complicated litigation process in an easy to understand language.
Key Practice Areas
Terry has over 20 years experience in practicing in the area of Wills & Estate Litigation. He has extensive experience in Will Disputes, Contested Wills, Challenged Wills and Family Provision Claims in the Equity and Probate Divisions of the Supreme Court. Terry can also provide specialist advice in relation to superannuation and death benefit claims. His expertise in all these areas allows Terry to assess his clients’ needs quickly, especially in more complicated situations. Terry also has a large defamation and civil litigation practice.
Qualifications
- BA LLB – University of Sydney
Memberships
- Member of Law Society of New South Wales
- Member of The Australian Lawyers Alliance
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Alex Munro
Alex is based in our Newcastle office but also sees clients at our Gloucester office, the Central Coast, mid North Coast and Sydney areas by appointment.
Key practice areas
Alex currently practises at Turner Freeman Lawyers in Newcastle and is responsible for managing the growing demand for wills and estate services within the Hunter Region. In late 2011, after moving to a mid-tier law firm in Newcastle, Alex began practicing almost exclusively in contested wills, contested probate and equitable claims in the Supreme Court. He also completed a Masters in Applied Laws (Wills and Estates) through the College of Law in Sydney in late 2014. Alex has extensive experience in wills and estates, estate litigation and dispute resolution, family provision claims, mediation and equitable claims in the Equity and Probate Divisions of the Supreme Court. He also assists clients with estate planning including preparing simple and complex wills, powers of attorney and enduring guardian documents.
Qualifications
- Masters of Applied Laws (Wills and Estates)
- Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice
- Bachelor of Computer Science/Law
- Legal Practitioner of the High Court of Australia
- Legal Practitioner of the Supreme Court of NSW
Memberships
- Member of the NSW Law Society
- Member of the Newcastle Law Society
- Graduate Fellow of The College of Law
- STEP (Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners) Forum
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Michelle Walsh
Michelle’s Expertise
Michelle is the Managing Partner of our Wollongong and Canberra offices and specialises in unfair wills and all wills and estates matters, asbestos disease claims, medical negligence, personal injury and compensation claims, unfair will claims and employment law.
Michelle has been an admitted solicitor for over 25 years and has expertise across a broad range of litigation and dispute resolution in Courts and Tribunals in New South Wales and the ACT.
Michelle guides her clients through their legal claim with compassion and understanding and strives to achieve the best outcome for every client. She travels to see clients in hospital or at their homes in NSW and the ACT.
Qualifications and Memberships
- Bachelor of Laws – University of Technology, Sydney
- Bachelor of Arts – Macquarie University
- Law Society of New South Wales
- Wollongong and District Law Society
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Nathan Edwards Bonello
Nathan’s Expertise
Nathan is the Managing Partner of our Narellan office and specialises in all types of personal injury compensation, wills and estates matters and total and permanent disability claims under the terms of superannuation policies.
Nathan joined Turner Freeman in 2012 and became a partner in 2015. Prior to joining Turner Freeman Nathan worked in a number of law firms all of which represented injured claimants.
Qualifications and memberships
- Bachelor of Laws – University of Technology, Sydney
- Bachelor of Social Work (Second Class Honours) – University of Sydney
- Law Society of NSW
- Australian Lawyers Alliance
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Lisa Barca
Lisa’s Expertise
- Lisa Barca is a Partner and Accredited Specialist within Turner Freeman’s Wills and Estates Team.
- Lisa practises in the areas of estate planning, deceased estates, deceased’s disputes and elder abuse. She focuses on servicing the needs of individuals, families, privately owned business entities and private investment structures.
- Lisa is professional and personable in her client interactions and goes the extra mile in forming strong and genuine relationships with them.
- Lisa understands the complexities which are often associated with the distribution of a person’s estate, and this allows her to combine her strong attention to detail with the sensitive approach needed in an often emotionally charged process.
- Lisa’s close connection to her grandparents has fuelled her passion in elder law, which includes advocating for vulnerable persons in the community including those with disabilities. Lisa’s greatest achievement in this area, is revoking a financial management order that was in place for over 30 years.
- As a fluent Italian speaker, Lisa has the capacity to assist clients from the Italian community with their estate matters.
Qualifications and memberships
- Accredited Specialist, Wills & Estates
- Bachelor of Laws (Macquarie University)
- Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Finance (Macquarie University)
- Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (College of Law)
- Master of Applied Laws (Estate Planning) (College of Law)
- Registered Trust and Estate Practitioner – Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
- Law Society of NSW
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John Mann
John Mann joined Turner Freeman as special Counsel in November 2014. John is an accredited specialist in property law since 1995 and former accredited specialist in Wills and Estates Law (2000 – 2017). he was admitted to practice in May 1974.
Key practice areas
He has a high level of expertise in relation to all aspects of conveyancing and tenancy law and property litigation, as well as drawing of wills, the administration of probate, probate litigation, family provision claims. John has handled numerous complex estates, has been involved in dispute resolution of estate claims. Since joining Turner Freeman Lawyers, John has been responsible for all property and Estate work including litigation in the western Sydney offices.
Qualifications & Memberships
- Bachelor of Laws – Sydney University
- Bachelor of Arts – University of New South Wales
- Law Society Accredited Specialist Wills and Estates law
- Law Society Accredited Specialist Property Law
- Law Society of NSW
- Law Society Professional Conduct Committee
- Law Society Accreditation Advisory Committee for Wills and Estates
- Former member of Law Society Property Law Advisory Committee
- Former accredited specialist in Wills and Estates Law (2000 – 2017)
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Isabelle Thompson
Isabelle’s Expertise
Isabelle was admitted as a Lawyer of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in February 2018. She practises primarily in the areas of Wills and Estates and Property law.
Isabelle is passionate about all aspects of estate planning and property transactions. She utilises her legal knowledge and skills to provide clients with practical insights that help them achieve their goals.
Isabelle is available to see clients in our Toronto and Newcastle offices. She is also available for home visits if attending an office is not possible.
Qualifications and memberships
- Juris Doctor at University of Newcastle
- Bachelor of Arts at the University of Western Australia
- Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice
- Legal Practitioner of the Supreme Court of New South Wales
- Member of the Law Society of New South Wales
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Kerry Gale
Kerry’s expertise
Kerry Gale joined Turner Freeman in October 2014 and has been specialising in Wills and Estates law and property law. Kerry adopts a practical approach and assists clients with all aspects of estate matters including drafting Wills, Probate and Letters of Administration applications, administration of estates, family provision claims and estate disputes. Kerry acts both for claimants and also for executors defending claims against estates. Kerry was previously the Legal Practitioner Director of a small suburban practice and also ran her own conveyancing practice as a Licensed Conveyancer prior to her admission as a Solicitor.
Qualifications & Memberships
- Diploma in Law – Legal Profession Admission Board
- The Law Society of New South Wales
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Elisa Goura
Elise’s Expertise
Elise is a Solicitor based in our Toronto office and practices in the area of property law and estate planning.
Elise has over 20 years experience in property law having held her Conveyancer’s Licence for 14 years while progressing to be admitted as a Solicitor.
Qualifications and memberships
- Bachelor of Laws
- Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice
- Associate Degree in Law
- Legal Practitioner of the Supreme Court
- Member of NSW Law Society
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Suzanne Azzi
Suzanne’s Expertise
Suzanne is a lawyer in our property and wills and estates team based in the Sydney office.
Suzanne began her practice working predominantly in wills and estates and property and commercial law. In August 2022, Suzanne joined Turner Freeman where she began practising primarily in the following areas:
- Unfair wills
- Estate Litigation
- Wills and Estates Law
- Property and Commercial Law
- General litigation
Suzanne specialises in wills and estates, estate litigation and dispute resolution, family provision claims, mediation and equitable claims in the Equity and Probate Divisions of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. She assists clients with preparing simple and complex wills, discretionary trusts, powers of attorney, enduring guardian documents and making probate and letters of administration applications to the Supreme Court.
Qualifications and memberships
- Bachelor of Medical Science
- Graduate Certificate in Mathematics
- Juris Doctor
- Graduate Certificate in Professional Legal Practice
- Fluent in the Arabic Language
- Legal Practitioner of the High Court of Australia
- Legal Practitioner of the Supreme Court of Australia
- Member of the NSW Law Society
- Member of the City of Sydney Law Society
- Council Member of the St Thomas More Society
- Member of the Women Lawyers Association of NSW