Global Law Experts Welcomes Rohani Bixler as Exclusive Member for Wills, Trusts and Succession Planning

Global Law Experts is pleased to welcome Rohani Bixler, Principal Lawyer at Olivetree Legal, as an Exclusive Member.

Based on the Mornington Peninsula, Rohani brings a refined, client focused practice spanning succession planning, wills, trusts, estate administration and estate litigation. Her work is known for technical accuracy, practical decision making and an understanding of the personal relationships that often sit at the centre of intergenerational wealth transfer.

Since 2006, Rohani has specialised exclusively in wills, trusts and estates. She supports individuals, families and private business owners when standard document preparation is not enough. Her advice takes into account the legal, financial and interpersonal factors that can shape how wealth is transferred, protected and administered over time. This includes planning for blended families, vulnerable beneficiaries, family businesses and clients with overseas connections.

Rohani’s appointment reflects the standards Global Law Experts looks for in international legal practitioners: specialist knowledge, sustained professional engagement, clear and practical client service, and the ability to manage complex matters with discretion. Her involvement in professional committees and her community contributions further demonstrate a commitment to responsible, accessible legal practice.

Succession Planning in Australia

Rohani is recognised for advising Australian clients who want to preserve family wealth, protect vulnerable people and put clear arrangements in place for the future ownership or control of assets. Her work is particularly valuable for clients navigating complex family circumstances, including blended families, family owned businesses and intergenerational transfers that may involve more than one jurisdiction.

Succession planning often requires coordination across multiple legal and practical elements. A will may need to work alongside testamentary trusts, existing inter vivos trusts, superannuation arrangements, business structures, powers of attorney and tax considerations. Rohani treats these components as connected parts of a single plan. This approach helps ensure the final outcome is workable in practice and can be administered effectively when the time comes.

Her assistance includes drafting and reviewing wills, establishing testamentary trusts, advising on Special Disability Trusts and preparing powers of attorney. She also supports clients with estate administration, probate and contested estate matters. For private business owners, her advice can extend to governance and succession arrangements that support business continuity and reduce uncertainty during ownership or leadership transitions.

Rohani also addresses the added complexity of the Australian legal environment. State based succession laws operate alongside federal tax and superannuation systems, while family provision principles and trustee obligations can affect how a person’s intentions are implemented. She focuses not only on the wording of legal documents, but also on how those documents are likely to operate for beneficiaries, executors, trustees and other family members.

This depth of work aligns strongly with Global Law Experts standards, because it combines specialist legal capability with a practical understanding of real client needs. Rohani has practised exclusively in wills, trusts and estates since 2006 and remains actively involved in professional development through her work with the Law Institute of Victoria’s Succession Law Committee and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. Her experience allows her to consider both the technical requirements of succession planning and the human realities that determine whether a plan will succeed.

Protecting Vulnerable Beneficiaries

A significant part of Rohani’s practice involves helping families plan for beneficiaries with disability or other special needs. These matters require careful thinking about protection, decision making, access to resources and long term administration. If an arrangement is poorly structured, it may expose assets to unnecessary risk or fail to match the beneficiary’s day to day circumstances.

Rohani advises on protective trust structures and Special Disability Trusts. She works with families, carers and other professional advisers where appropriate. Her approach aims to provide support and safeguards for vulnerable beneficiaries while offering clear guidance for trustees and executors. The goal is to strike the right balance between protection and practical management, ensuring the structure can operate effectively over time.

Rohani’s background in psychology, combined with her legal training, supports an empathetic approach to sensitive planning. This matters because legal decisions often affect family relationships, care arrangements and the future independence of a vulnerable person. She recognises that effective planning must be both technically sound and understandable for the people who will carry the plan forward.

This element of her practice reflects the standards expected of an Exclusive Member of Global Law Experts. It demonstrates tailored advice, careful responsibility and a strong focus on protecting clients who need legal structures that are thoughtfully considered. Her community involvement, including volunteer work with organisations such as the Salvation Army and Red Cross, reinforces her commitment to supporting vulnerable members of the community.

Wills, Trusts and Estate Structuring

Rohani advises on a wide range of will and trust matters, including testamentary trusts and inter vivos trusts. Her work helps clients consider how assets should be held, who should control them and how beneficiaries should receive support or benefits. These decisions become especially important when family arrangements are complex, beneficiaries may be vulnerable or assets include business interests.

Testamentary trusts can play an important role in a broader succession strategy. They can help provide structured support to beneficiaries and create a more controlled framework for how inherited assets are managed. Rohani considers these structures in light of the client’s family circumstances, assets and intended outcomes. She also advises on how trusts interact with estate administration and how they may influence potential disputes.

Rohani’s work goes beyond document preparation. Effective estate planning requires clients to understand what happens after death and how responsibilities are carried out by executors and trustees. She emphasises clear documentation and practical executorship. Where helpful, she collaborates with accountants, financial advisers and carers to ensure the plan reflects the wider picture.

This collaborative approach supports Global Law Experts’ expectation that an Exclusive Member can address the full scope of a legal problem. Rohani integrates legal, tax, superannuation and commercial considerations without losing sight of the client’s personal objectives. At Olivetree Legal, her fixed fee approach also supports transparency, helping clients understand scope and cost before work begins.

Estate Administration, Probate and Litigation

Rohani assists executors and families with estate administration and probate, as well as contested estate litigation. These matters can be stressful because they combine procedural requirements with family expectations, financial pressure and, in some cases, disagreement between beneficiaries.

Estate administration requires careful handling of asset identification and collection, treatment of liabilities, interpretation of testamentary documents and distribution of the estate in accordance with the law. Probate may also be necessary to establish the authority of an executor to deal with estate assets. Rohani provides practical guidance throughout these steps so clients understand their responsibilities and the actions needed to move an estate forward efficiently.

When disputes arise, her experience in estate litigation helps her advise on family provision claims and other contested matters. She also supports clients who need to negotiate or defend these claims. Her approach prioritises reducing avoidable conflict while protecting the legal and financial interests of the estate and its beneficiaries.

Rohani’s ability to support both planning and dispute resolution gives her a valuable perspective. Advice at the planning stage can be shaped by an understanding of issues that often lead to litigation. Similarly, her administration and litigation work is informed by how estate plans are structured and what the original intentions were. This continuity allows her to provide a more complete service to families and executors.

Her combination of technical rigour, practical administration experience and client centred communication reflects the selection standards Global Law Experts applies. She does not treat succession planning, administration and litigation as separate areas. Instead, she considers how decisions made at one stage can affect later administration, family dynamics and the risk of disputes.

Family Business and Intergenerational Wealth Transfer

Rohani also advises private business owners and families managing intergenerational wealth. In these situations, clients often need clarity around the transfer of ownership, governance arrangements and leadership succession. Without careful planning, a family enterprise can face uncertainty at the same time relationships and financial interests are under strain.

Her work may involve succession governance documents and buy sell style arrangements for family businesses. These tools help clarify how ownership and control may change and support continuity for the business. Rohani also considers the relationship between business interests and personal estate planning, including how family members may interpret and understand the plan.

This work requires both succession law knowledge and commercial awareness. Business assets may need to be coordinated with wills, trusts, powers of attorney and wider estate arrangements. Rohani helps clients address these issues together, rather than relying on solutions that cover only one part of the succession process.

Her practical focus is especially helpful for families who want certainty and long term protection. She understands that a plan must be more than legally correct. It also needs to be understandable, implementable and maintainable by the people involved. This emphasis on enforceability, communication and continuity reflects the professional qualities Global Law Experts seeks.

Professional Leadership and Community Contribution

Rohani’s professional involvement reinforces her leadership in the succession planning space. She serves as Vice President of the Mornington Peninsula Lawyers’ Association, is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and contributes to the Law Institute of Victoria’s Succession Law Committee. She has also previously contributed to the Institute’s Disability Law Committee.

Through these roles, Rohani stays connected to professional practice standards, legislative updates and specialist guidance relevant to Victoria. She also shares practical insights through community seminars, conferences and not for profit initiatives, including campaigns focused on gifts in wills, testamentary trusts and estate administration.

Her commitment to access to justice is demonstrated through her work with community wills days and volunteer legal services for the Salvation Army and Red Cross. These activities complement her private practice and highlight a broader dedication to helping people make informed decisions about their legal affairs.

Rohani Bixler’s enrolment as an Exclusive Member of Global Law Experts recognises a practice built on specialist expertise, ongoing professional engagement and careful client service. Through Olivetree Legal, she provides succession planning advice across Australia, with particular strength in wills, trusts, planning for vulnerable beneficiaries, family business succession, estate administration and estate litigation.

Her work combines legal precision with a clear appreciation of family dynamics, practical administration and long term consequences. For individuals, families and private business owners who want to protect assets, support vulnerable beneficiaries and establish reliable succession arrangements, Rohani offers a considered and comprehensive approach.

Global Law Experts is proud to welcome Rohani as an Exclusive Member and recognises the value of her contribution to specialist legal practice in Australia.