Hunter-based law firm Catherine Henry Lawyers is expanding its capability in estate planning and elder law, particularly in relation to superannuation, with the appointment of a new Senior Associate, Larissa Howard.
Larissa has specialised in the field of superannuation and structuring for 15 years. She has worked for top tier law firms in Sydney, Melbourne and London and most recently for the Newcastle office of a national business law firm. A University of Newcastle alumni, with commerce and law degrees, Larissa is also completing a specialist Applied Masters in Estate Planning.
The firm’s Principal, Catherine Henry said Larissa’s appointment expands and strengthens the capability of the firm’s highly regarded elder law and estate planning team.
“Superannuation is a complex but very important part of planning for growing older – increasingly so given we are living longer,” Catherine said.
“Superannuation and estate planning are areas where the rules are constantly changing.
“It’s vitally important to obtain specialist estate planning and structuring advice for all planning involving superannuation including self-managed super funds (SMSFs), trusts and other asset protection measures such as testamentary trusts.”
Larissa said she is looking forward to helping local businesses and business owners with estate planning, business succession, intergenerational wealth transfer and other legal issues associated with growing older.
She said she the opportunity to work with a firm based in her home town that has a reputation for excellence in commercial law and elder law was too good to pass up.
“SMSFs and trusts are widely used and effective means of managing wealth but there are many pitfalls that people need to consider when establishing the most effective structure for their needs,” Larissa said.
“Relationship break ups, the death of partners and even the choice of partner by business owners’ children can all impact a will, trust or SMSF as well as business succession.
“I make the process simple for my clients including working directly with their accountants and financial planners.”
According to 2017 figures from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority and the Australian Taxation Office there are almost 600,000 SMSFs in operation in Australia, managing almost $700 billion in assets. SMSFs make up 30 per cent of the $2.3 trillion total superannuation assets. The number of SMSFs has grown annually by an average of almost 5 percent over the past five years. There are more than 800,000 trusts in Australia with assets of $3.1 trillion and revenue of $349.2 billion.
IMAGE | New Senior Associate at Catherine Henry Lawyers, Larissa Howard.
