Karina Penfold

Karina Penfold is a Partner and an Accredited Specialist in Wills & Estates (NSW) at Turner Freeman Lawyers.

With a wealth of experience, Karina handles a diverse range of Wills & Estates matters, including Estate Planning, both simple and intricate deceased estate Administration, Will Disputes, Elder Law, and Elder Abuse.

Her expertise extends to complex scenarios such as disputes involving beneficiaries left out of a will, guiding Executors through conflicts while upholding their responsibilities and ensuring Beneficiaries receive their rightful assets. Karina understands that every Wills & Estates matter is unique and emotionally charged, which motivates her to provide clients with clear guidance through legal processes.

Committed to practical and cost-effective solutions, Karina diligently seeks resolutions that best serve her clients’ interests. She enjoys working with a wide spectrum of clients, including blended families, vulnerable individuals and their families, high-net-worth clients, business owners and the elderly.

Experience

• Preparation of simple Wills, Wills incorporating trusts including Testamentary Discretionary Trusts, Special Disability Trusts, Accommodation Trusts Education Trusts, and rights of occupation.
• Preparation of Enduring Powers of Attorney, Appointments of Enduring Guardian, Memorandums of Wishes and testamentary contracts.
• Advising on superannuation in the context of estate planning, including reviewing superannuation deeds, and binding and non-binding death benefit nominations.
• Simple and complex uncontested Probate applications, and administration of deceased estates.
• Reseal applications.
• Will disputes including claims for lack of testamentary capacity, lack of knowledge and approval and undue influence.
• Family provision claims.
• Statutory Will applications.
• Estate disputes involving Executors, such as disputes between Executors, or Executors and beneficiaries.
• Assisting Executors with the passing of accounts, as well as claims for Executor’s Commission and of their responsibilities and obligations.
• Acting for beneficiaries to ensure the Executor(s) and Trustee(s) of an Estate act in accordance with their obligations.
• NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) Guardianship division proceedings, including applications for financial management and/or guardianship orders, as well as review of orders.
• Assisting clients with applications concerning financial mismanagement by other person(s).
• Applications to the Protective List of the Supreme Court of NSW.

Awards

• Named ‘Best Wills and Estate Planning Specialist 2023 (New South Wales)’ in the 2023 Retirement Planning Awards

Qualifications & Memberships

• Accredited Specialist, Wills & Estates (NSW)
• Bachelor of Laws (Macquarie University)
• Bachelor of Arts (Macquarie University)
• Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (College of Law)
• Master of Applied Laws (Wills & Estates) (College of Law)
• Full Member Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) – Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
• Law Society of NSW
• Member of the Elder Law & Succession Law Society Committee 2023 and 2024