Friday, 27 February 2026
Chair
Helen Tyree, Director, McWilliam Tyree
Learning Objectives:
- Understand how to effectively prepare clients and written materials for judicial settlement conferences in family law matters
- Develop practical strategies for managing negotiation dynamics, settlement risk and expert involvement during settlement conferences
Description
Attend and earn 1 CPD hour
* This interactive online recording includes questions and quizzes requiring critical thinking about the topics, so you have no annual limits to the number of points/hours you can claim with this format of learning. Please verify with your CPD rules
A Judicial Settlement Conferences: Preparing, Drafting, Advising on Risk and Settlement Options
- What is the best way to represent your client at a judicial settlement conference including
- How to prepare them for the process
- How to craft a memorandum for a judicial settlement conference
- How to manage your client and the opposing party at a judicial settlement conference
- How to get the best out of any expert who may attend the conference or is involved with your matter as well as judge at the settlement conference
Presented by Louise Reed, Barrister, Southern Cross Chambers
Presenters
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Helen Tyree, Director, McWilliam Tyree
Helen became a Director of the McWilliam Tyree in Wellington in 2021, having previously been an Associate and then Senior Associate at McWilliam Rennie (predecessor of McWilliam Tyree) since 2014. She has been practicing all areas of family law since 2003, initially in Taranaki before moving to Wellington. Helen often acts in complex relationship property matters, including matters involving trusts, companies and economic disparity and maintenance claims. She also takes appointments from the Family Court to represent children in the Family Court, and also people who lack capacity in applications for welfare guardians and property managers pursuant to the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act. Helen is a contributing author for the legal publication Westlaw, writing about relationship property agreements (separation agreements, contracting-out agreements, and setting aside those agreements). She also contributed significantly to McWilliam Rennie and McWilliam Tyree’s submissions to the Law Commission in relation to their reviews of relationship property, succession law and adult capacity law. She presents seminars for NZCLE and Legalwise on a range of family law matters, particularly relationship property and the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act. Helen 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).
Louise Reed, Barrister, Southern Cross Chambers
Louise is a barrister at Southern Cross Chambers. She has practised in family law, employment law, insurance law and general civil litigation since her admission to the bar in 2004. Since 2009 Louise has practised exclusively in the area of family law and has particular interests in children's proceedings, relationship property, trust disputes and proceedings under the Protection and Personal Property Rights Act 1988. She appears regularly in the Family Court and has been involved in appeals to both the High Court and Court of Appeal in respect of relationship property and spousal maintenance matters. Louise is on the lawyer for child list and also lawyer for subject person list. She is also appointed as lawyer to assist the court.
