This session was recorded on 12 March 2024 as part of the Elder law, wills and probate: One day intensive – live webinar.

Estate planning for blended families – Paul Evans, Partner, Makinson d’Apice Lawyers

Blended families, where one or both spouses have children from a prior relationship are today increasingly common. Inevitably, with a blended family situation, there will be a multitude of competing needs and obligations. Skillful estate planning can address those needs and obligations and as far as possible keep conflict within the family to a minimum. 

The presentation will examine types of blended families, provide an understanding of how to tackle your clients' objectives, and the potential for family provision claims. It will also cover possible strategies to include: 

• Outright gifts
•  Mutual wills contracts 
•  Life interests and rights to reside 
•  Superannuation and family trusts 

Packed courtrooms, high-pressure negotiations, and constant client interaction - the legal profession often seems exclusively made for extroverts. But what about introverted lawyers who find their energy drained by social situations and excel in focused research and analysis?

This session will offer:

• Practical advice and inspiring stories from successful introverted lawyers.
• Insights on how to leverage strengths while navigating the extroverted world of law and could be a valuable resource for law students, lawyers, and anyone considering a legal career who might worry that their personality doesn't fit the mould.
• How do you drive performance if you manage an introverted team?
• Because law is noted for its adversarial approach, competition, and assertive work ethic, what if you don’t find yourself in-step with that mindset?
• Practical tips and tricks to deal with imposter syndrome while making your way through a legal career—and can it ever leave?

Please note that not all questions asked by the live audience are clearly audible.

This session was recorded on Thursday 10 October 2024 as part of the Annual Conference 2024.

Mei Gong, Senior Associate, Johnson Winter Slattery

Mara Lejins, Solicitor, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions NSW

(Moderator) Henry Ea, Content Specialist, The Law Society of NSW

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This session was recorded on 16 July 2024 as part of the Fundamentals of GenAI for lawyers – live webinar.

Understanding Generative AI is essential for all lawyers. Legal-specific GenAI solutions are being released and solutions such as Copilot are integrating into standard applications like Outlook and Word, and understanding how these solutions work is vital for legal professionals.

In this webinar, Nick Abrahams aims to empower lawyers by showcasing the transformative impact of GenAI on legal productivity. Attendees will discover how leveraging these innovative technologies can revolutionise efficiency and effectiveness in legal practice.

Key Takeaways from the session:

• Understand the landscape of GenAI apps available to help lawyers - from immediately-accessible public apps like ChatGPT and Claude to enterprise solutions like Spellbook, Microsoft Copilot and Thomson Reuters CoCounsel.
• Navigating Ethical and Professional Conduct with GenAI: Gain insights into the key professional and ethical considerations necessary when integrating GenAI into legal practice.
• Implementing GenAI for Enhanced Efficiency: Learn actionable use cases of GenAI in legal settings that you can apply immediately to boost your and your team's efficiency.

Future Learning Opportunities

For those interested in a deeper understanding of Legal GenAI, consider enrolling in the Bond University online, micro credential also taught by Nick Abrahams, The Breakthrough Lawyer: GenAI Productivity Training for Lawyers. Designed for all lawyers, in-house or in private practice. Six hours to gain the detailed knowledge and tools necessary to harness the potential of GenAI for your legal practice.

This session was recorded on 27 March 2024 as part of the Unfair contracts - the new penalties: Mandatory rule 6.1 - live webinar.

Good drafting and compliance with the changes to unfair contracts law – Kathleen Morris, Barrister, Level 22 Chambers

On 9 November 2022 the Treasury Laws Amendment (More Competition, Better Prices) Act 2022 (Cth) came into effect, which expanded and reformed the unfair contract terms regimes applying under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) and Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 (Cth). Those amendments included the introduction of a new civil penalty regime prohibiting the use of, and reliance on, unfair contract terms by businesses, which came into operation from 9 November 2023. The amendments also broadened the definition of “small business” and clarified matters to be taken into account when assessing whether a contract is a “standard form contract”. This session considers those legislative changes and steps that can be taken to ensure compliance with the unfair contract terms regime. 

In this session you will learn about:

• methods for handling various types of emotions, including frustration, sadness and anger;
• how to identify skills for communicating with clients who are experiencing emotional anguish or hardship and guidelines for dealing with different situations;
• ways to consider the importance of empathy and understanding when working to deliver the best level of client care;
• how to develop a deeper understanding of managing the need for frank advice with the impact of that advice on the client;
• Skill implementation from practice-based experience;.  
• the importance of self-care and how to protect yourself from the anguish of your clients.

This session was recorded on 12 June 2024 as part of the Key considerations for settlements: Mandatory rule 6.1 - live webinar.

Many negotiations involve a ‘haggle’, predominantly over money. This session examines the haggle from the perspective of clients and representatives, and also from interveners such as mediators. It defines its predictable features, consider how it can be improved and explains what to look for when the haggle becomes sticky. In this session you will learn to:

• Prepare for and commence haggle negotiations
• Manage the dynamics of the process
• Respond to tactics and scan for underlying interests
• Link client choices to broader goals and find justifications for outcomes