Michelle Gold

Michelle is a Senior Associate in Meyer Vandenberg’s Wills and Estates team, practising only in the areas of estate planning and estate disputes.

She commenced with Meyer Vandenberg as a paralegal and has over 19 years’ experience, working almost exclusively in this area with private clients and professional executors.

Michelle has significant experience in Wills, Testamentary Trust Wills and Special Disability Trust Wills. She assists people with ‘simple’ through to complex structures – including reviewing company and trust structures.

Michelle also works with family groups to achieve their estate planning objectives.

In addition, Michelle provides advice in matters such as deceased estates, elder abuse and reviews of Powers of Attorney. She has been involved in the conduct of various types of legal proceedings at various levels of the court hierarchy.

Michelle also advises in all aspects of estate disputes including to the validity of Wills, constructive trusts, interpretation of Wills, intestacy distributions, statutory Wills, testamentary capacity and family provisions claims.

She assists clients ranging from ‘mums and dads’ to clients with complex estate disputes (such as trusts, companies and blended family situations) and high net worth clients.

Michelle also has extensive experience assisting clients in the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal, including reviews of Enduring Powers of Attorney seeking injunctions, emergency orders and temporary appointments.

Michelle’s areas of expertise are:

• Business succession
• Deceased estates (contentious and non-contentious)
• Estate disputes (advising and appearing in Court)
• Elder law
• Estate planning (including reviewing company and trust structures)
• Financial management and guardianship (including appearing in the relevant Court or Tribunal)
• Powers of Attorney (personal and companies) and Enduring Guardians
• Wills, Testamentary Trust Wills and Special Disability Trust Wills
• Superannuation death benefit nominations
• Mediation
• Working with family groups to achieve their estate planning objectives

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Laws – University of Canberra (2010)
• Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice – Australian National University (2011)

Admissions

• Australian Capital Territory, 2011

Affiliations and Memberships

• ACT Law Society
• Member of the ACT Estate Planning Discussion Group
• Former member of the Elder Law & Succession Law Committee, ACT Law Society

• Setting Up A Will For A Blended Family
• Can notes on your computer and social media be considered to be your ‘will’?
• What does the yes vote for same-sex marriage mean for my Will?
• Challenging a Will — do you stand a chance?