Craig Birtles

Barrister

Craig was called to the Bar in May 2017. Craig is a member of the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP) and the Succession & Elder Law Committee of the NSW Bar Association. He is a co-author of C Birtles and R Neal, Hutley’s Australian Wills Precedents 8th Edition (LexisNexis Butterworths) 2013 and 9th Edition 2016 and C Birtles, R Neal and C Sims 10th Edition 2021.

Craig was named in the Doyle’s Guide as a leading New South Wales Estate Litigation Junior Counsel in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Before being called to the Bar, Craig was a solicitor at Teece Hodgson & Ward and was an Accredited Specialist in Wills & Estates Law.

Admitted to the Bar (New South Wales): 2017
Admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales: 2008

Equity & Trusts
Family Provision Claims
Succession/Wills & Probate

As Counsel Craig has appeared in:

Craig has presented over 20 seminars since 2011 including

  • 12.03.22: “When reading over is not enough”, paper presented for Succession Law Conference Bowral.
  • 13.03.21: “Statutory Wills”, paper for Succession Law Conference.
  • 10.03.21: “Family Provision Review 2020: The worm and the robin”, paper for the 18th Annual Succession Law Symposium.
  • 18.09.19: “Statutory Wills”, paper for Television Education Network Wills and Estates Masterclass.
  • 11.08.18: “Statutory Wills”, paper for Law Society of NSW Accredited Specialists Conference.
  • 21.03.18: “Family Provision: the worm turns again”, paper for St George-Sutherland Regional Law Society.
  • 22.11.17: “Testamentary capacity and knowledge and approval”, paper for Legalwise.
  • 13.05.17: “Family Provision: the turning of the Worm”, paper for College of Law, Specialist Legal Conference: Wills & Estates.
  • 30.03.17: “Informal Testamentary Documents”, paper for UNSW CPD.
  • 17.09.16: “Statutory Will applications and the protective jurisdiction”, a paper by Craig Birtles and Hugh Morrison presented for the Blue Mountains Law Society at the Inaugural Succession Law Conference.
  • 16.06.15: “Testamentary dispositions”, seminar 3 in “Estate administration: Probate, Protective and Family Provision Jurisdiction” series co-presented with Michael Willmott SC for the NSW Bar Association and Law Society of NSW. This paper was published in a special edition of the Australian Bar Review: Estate Administration, Probate, Family Provision and Protective Cases (December 2016) 43 ABR 1.
  • 08.09.23: “Estate Planning” to be presented for Blue Mountains Regional Law Society Succession Conference, Medlow Bath.
  • 08.09.22: “Eligibility to Make a Family Provision Claim” to be presented for Legalwise Third Annual Family Provision Claims conference.
  • 24.09.22: Statutory Wills” to be presented for Bankstown & District Law Society, Revesby Workers Club.

?+61 2 8915 2036 ?+61 2 9223 4204
cbirtles@wentworthchambers.com.au

Craig Birtles

Barrister

Craig was called to the Bar in May 2017. Craig is a member of the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP) and a co-author of C Birtles and R Neal, Hutley’s Australian Wills Precedents 8th Edition (LexisNexis Butterworths) 2013 and 9th Edition 2016 and C Birtles, R Neal and C Sims 10th Edition 2021.

Craig was named in the Doyle’s Guide as a leading New South Wales Estate Litigation Junior Counsel in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Before being called to the Bar Craig was a solicitor at Teece Hodgson & Ward and was an Accredited Specialist in Wills & Estates Law.

Admissions

Admitted to the Bar (New South Wales) 2017
Admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales 2008

Areas of Practice

Equity & Trusts
Family Provision Claims
Succession/Wills & Probate

Select Cases

As Counsel Craig has appeared in:

Seminars

Craig has presented over 20 seminars since 2011 including

  • “Testamentary dispositions”, seminar 3 in “Estate administration: Probate, Protective and Family Provision Jurisdiction” series co-presented with Michael Willmott SC for the NSW Bar Association and Law Society of NSW on 16 June 2015. This paper was published in a special edition of the Australian Bar Review: Estate Administration, Probate, Family Provision and Protective Cases (December 2016) 43 ABR 1
  • “Statutory Will applications and the protective jurisdiction”, a paper by Craig Birtles and Hugh Morrison presented for the Blue Mountains Law Society at the Inaugural Succession Law Conference on 17 September 2016.
  • “Informal Testamentary Documents”, paper presented by Craig Birtles for UNSW CPD on 30 March 2017.
  • “Family Provision: the turning of the Worm”, paper presented by Craig Birtles for College of Law, Specialist Legal Conference: Wills & Estates, on 13 May 2017.
  • “Testamentary capacity and knowledge and approval”, paper presented by Craig Birtles for Legalwise on 22 November 2017.
  • “Family Provision: the worm turns again”, paper presented by Craig Birtles for St George-Sutherland Regional Law Society on 21 March 2018.
  • “Statutory Wills”, paper presented by Craig Birtles for Law Society of NSW Accredited Specialists Conference on 11 August 2018.
  • “Statutory Wills”, paper presented by Craig Birtles for Television Education Network Wills and Estates Masterclass on 18 September 2019.
  • “Family Provision Review 2020: The worm and the robin”, paper presented by Craig Birtles for the 18th Annual Succession Law Symposium on 10 March 2021.
  • “Statutory Wills”, paper presented by Craig Birtles for Succession Law Conference on 13 March 2021.

?+61 2 8915 2036 ?+61 2 9223 4204
cbirtles@wentworthchambers.com.au