Your family law matter is won on the evidence.  Be assured of your competency in relation to your evidence and advocacy and blitz your Family Law cases. Feel confident with your practical understanding and skill level in relation to admitting documentary and pre-hearing evidence. Receive essential guidance on forensic evidence on how to brief the expert witness correctly and best practice tips on cross examination techniques.  This together with “War Stories” from experienced expert Counsel and solicitors will set you on a path to winning for your clients.

Presenters

Sam Bassett, NZ Chairman & Director, Moore Markhams
Sam has built up significant expertise in business advice and taxation, with a particular interest in working with small to medium sized law firms and barristers. Sam is involved with the firm’s bi -annual legal firm financial benchmarking survey and the 2021 survey is expected to be available by late November 2021. He also provides litigation support to barristers as an expert witness providing valuation evidence for interests in businesses and economic disparity calculations per Section 15 of the Relationship Property Act. Sam is based in Auckland.


Ben Snedden, Barrister, Hobson Chambers
Ben is a practising family law barrister. He has 23 years’ experience as an advocate. Ben has also qualified as a solicitor advocate in England.


Caroline Hannan, Barrister, Wellington Family Law Chambers
Caroline has practised family law for over 30 years, and has practised exclusively in that field since 2002. She was first appointed as lawyer for child in 1995, and stepped away from that role in 2023. Caroline has represented countless adults and children in Family Court proceedings over the last 33 years, including in relationship property, care of children, family violence, adoption, Family Protection Act, and Hague Convention proceedings, as well as on appeals in the High Court. Caroline has presented at various seminars over the years on family law topics, and is a past deputy chair of the Family Law Section.  She has written and presented submissions on family law Bills, and appeared at select committees. Before specializing in family law, Caroline was a general practitioner, with a particular focus on criminal defence work, as well as civil and commercial litigation, conveyancing and employment law. Starting practice in Gisborne enabled Caroline to gain significant litigation experience in a relatively short time. She moved to Wellington in 1999, went to the independent bar in 2019, and shares Chambers with four other specialist family lawyers, Chris Dellabarca, Amy Gulbransen, David Tyree, and Jen Wademan.


Brintyn Smith, Barrister
Brintyn (Tūhoe) is a specialist family law barrister based in Warkworth and Auckland. He deals predominantly with complex care of children, family violence, relocation, and care and protection matters. He also undertakes relationship property work. Brintyn accepts Family Court appointments to act as Lawyer for Child, and is a family legal aid provider and is also a contract Instructor at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies (IPLS). Brintyn is passionate about and actively advocates for the safety and well-being of practitioners. He also has an interest in matters of practice and procedure, evidence, alternative dispute resolution (including mediation and collaborative law), and elder law.


Carmel Walsh, Barrister, Bankside Chambers
Carmel has over 25 years’ experience as a litigator in New Zealand, Hong Kong, and England. She was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in New Zealand in 1993; and a solicitor and solicitor advocate (Higher Courts Civil) in London in 2000/2001. She holds both a New Zealand and English practising certificate. Carmel is a former contributing author to Informa’s Reinsurance Practice and the Law, and a former secretary and editor of the Negligence and Damages committee of the International Bar Association. Since returning to New Zealand Carmel has specialised in property litigation, equity and trusts, estates litigation and relationship property, particularly where complex issues arise requiring expert forensic accounting evidence. Carmel sits on the board of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, NZTrio and the New Zealand Opera School.


Genevieve Haszard, Barrister, Kate Sheppard Chambers
Genevieve is a barrister based in Tauranga and Member of Kate Sheppard Chambers. She is one of the elected area representatives on the New Zealand Bar Association | Ngā Ahorangi Motuhake o te Ture Council and one of the Association’s four Vice-Presidents. Genevieve is an experienced criminal and civil barrister and undertakes Family, Trust and Estate litigation, including appeals. She is part way through her LLM studies researching the role of Lawyer for Child. Genevieve is also a contributor to the New Zealand Bar Association | Ngā Ahorangi Motuhake o te Ture publication At the Bar.


Helen Tyree, Director, McWilliams Tyree Lawyers
Helen is a Director of McWilliam Tyree Lawyers, having been an Associate and then Senior Associate at McWilliam Rennie (predecessor of McWilliam Tyree) since 2014. Helen has practiced all areas of family law since 2003. As well as acting for clients in all areas of family law, Helen has undertaken regular appointments as lawyer for child and as lawyer for subject persons under the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act since 2008. Helen is also a contributing author for the legal publication “Brookers Family Law on Family Property”, writing about relationship property agreements (separation agreements, contracting-out agreements, and setting aside those agreements). She also contributed significantly to McWilliam Rennie’s submissions to the Law Commission in relation to their review of relationship property and then succession law. She has presented seminars for Legalwise on a range of relationship property matters, relationship property law developments and on the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act.

Family Law Bundle

We’ve curated the perfect 12-hour CPD package with three of this year’s bestselling family law programmes, all live online for your convenience—and all for the price of 10!

Start with the Family Law ‘Crash Course’ for Junior Practitioners, designed to tackle key challenges faced by junior lawyers. Then, gain expert insights into dividing the marital pool and settlement adjustments under the Property (Relationships) Act with Family Law: Complex Relationship Property Matters.

Wrap up your CPD with the Family Law Evidence & Advocacy webinar, featuring must-know guidance on forensic evidence, expert witness briefings, and cross-examination best practices.