ABOUT KAREN
Karen brings nearly 18 years of litigation experience as a solicitor to her practice at the bar. During that time, she has developed a reputation for excellence in litigation concerning wills, estates, trusts and equity.
Notably, 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.
In the conduct of litigation which often involves complex law and is factually dense, Karen is known both for her strategic approach and her attention to detail.
While a solicitor, Karen was a Queensland Law Society Accredited Specialist in Succession law, an accreditation awarded by a panel of peers and which recognises technical excellence in both the law and in practice. Karen took out the Highest Achiever Award for the program (jointly with another practitioner).
Above all, Karen is skilled at navigating difficult litigation with clients who are particularly vulnerable, following the death of a loved one or the trauma of a family dispute.
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.
AWARDS
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.
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).
EDUCATION
In 2013, Karen completed a Master of Laws at the Queensland University of Technology.
Also in 2013, Karen became a Queensland Law Society Accredited Specialist in Succession Law.
CAREER
Karen commenced her legal career serving as an associate to Her Honour Judge O’Sullivan in the District Court in 2001, while still completing her law degree.
In 2002, Karen commenced articles of clerkship at Thynne & Macartney. She worked across nearly every area of practice then offered by the firm.
In 2006, Karen joined the estate litigation team at de Groots wills and estate lawyers and during her employment, worked across all three areas of succession law: estate administration, estate planning and estate litigation.
Karen returned to Thynne & Macartney in 2015 to head up the firm’s Private Clients team. At that time, it consisted of one other accredited specialist in succession law, one family law accredited specialist, plus an employed solicitor and support staff.
By 2020, the group had grown to 3 accredited specialists in succession law (the largest all female team of its kind in Queensland), 2 accredited specialists in family law, two employed solicitors and support staff.
Karen was called to the bar in February 2022.
Committees & other professional involvement
Karen has served as a member of the Queensland Law Society Succession Law Committee since 2020 and as a member of the Queensland Law Society Specialist Accreditation Succession Law Advisory Committee until 2023.
Karen is a past volunteer at Women’s Legal Service.
Professional Memberships
