Presenters

Helen Tyree, Director, McWilliam 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. Helen Tyree graduated from Otago University in 2000 with a Bachelor of Laws and from Brunel University of London in 2003 with a Master of Law in Child Law and Policy (with distinction).


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.