Karen was called to the bar in February 2022.
Prior to coming to the bar, Karen served as an associate to Her Honour Judge O’Sullivan in the District Court in 2001, while still completing her law degree.
She has practiced as a solicitor for over seventeen years. Karen has practiced in many areas of law, however, she has a particular interest in all three areas of succession law: estate administration, estate planning and estate litigation.
As a solicitor, Karen has been involved in several pieces of long running litigation with a broader commercial focus, involving rural partnerships, trusts, and equitable remedies, including undue influence and unconscionable conduct.
Karen has conducted many family provision applications (FPAs), solemn form probate applications, will construction, cy pres, and statutory will applications and other “classical” forms of estate litigation. She has appeared (with counsel) at numerous hearings, including trials and appeals and at numerous mediations).
Despite being a skilled litigator, Karen recognises the value of alternative dispute resolution, especially in family-based disputes. She has undertaken the Bond University mediation course and was one of the first succession lawyers to undertake training in Collaborative Law at UTS in Sydney in 2008.
In 2013, Karen undertook the Queensland Law Society Specialist Accreditation assessment in the area of Succession Law. She was awarded the Highest Achiever (jointly with another practitioner).
Doyle’s Guide ranks Karen as “Preeminent” in the category of Wills and Estate Litigation Lawyers and “Recommended” in the area of Wills Estate and Succession Planning Lawyers.