Her principal areas of practice are estate planning, trusts, relationship property and estate management.
A specialist in trust law, Mary Joy regularly reviews and provides advice on personal asset management plans. She regularly undertakes complex restructuring, including variation and resettlement of existing structures to ensure they are workable and durable for the future. As a trusted advisor, she assists families as they put in place constitutional documents and establish a family office to manage wealth through the generations.
Changes in the Property (Relationships) Act 1976 and increasing attacks on trusts mean that the personal circumstances of clients need to be carefully considered when structuring an asset management plan. Mary Joy enjoys building a strategy that will best meet her clients’ individual needs.
Mary Joy’s experience in the area of family law means she can appreciate family dynamics and manage them with sensitivity.
Her sound knowledge of and experience in wills and succession means Mary Joy is often asked to speak at seminars for New Zealand Law Society, The Law Association of New Zealand and Legalwise. She is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Planning Professionals and is ranked band 1 in the Chambers and Partners HNW Rankings for Private Wealth in New Zealand.
Mary Joy also regularly advises charitable organisations on legal and structuring issues.
Relationships are important to Mary Joy who enjoys catching up with old friends and building new friendships. She applies these skills to her practice and aims to be the kind of legal professional her clients can relate to, developing strong and trusted client relationships.