Preeminent litigation firm Morris Legal has announced Bethan Read will be joining the firm as head of its new advisory team, as the firm now offers specialist trust and estate advisory services to its clients.
Bethan has extensive experience in asset protection solutions and estate planning. She is dual qualified in England & Wales and New Zealand and, prior to moving to New Zealand, worked in top-tier firms in the Channel Islands and London where she gained extensive experience in private client advisory matters. More recently, Bethan was head of the trust legal team and director of an international trust company based in New Zealand and subsequently worked for a national New Zealand law firm.
Bethan is a specialist in all areas of trust, estate and relationship property planning, including:
- establishing new trusts and varying existing trusts, including changing trustees and beneficiaries as well as varying trust deeds;
- reviewing trusts to ensure that they remain fit for purpose and, in particular, that they comply with the Trusts Act 2019;
- applying for grants of probate and letters of administration;
- assisting with gifting of assets and related advice on residential care subsidy considerations;
- advising on the establishment and operation of charitable trusts;
- drafting wills;
- drafting powers of attorney;
- drafting relationship property agreements; and
- drafting property sharing agreements.
Bethan is highly experienced in trust regulatory matters including trustees’ anti-money laundering obligations. Bethan’s arrival enables Morris Legal to offer its clients non-contentious advice on trusts, wills, enduring powers of attorney and other estate planning and asset protection matters in addition to the firm's established disputes resolution expertise.