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. He is an adjunct lecturer for College of Law (Masters of Applied Law), Family Provision subject and is also a casual lecturer in the Law Extension Committee Diploma of Law, Succession Law subject.
Craig was named in the Doyle’s Guide as a leading New South Wales Wills and Estates Litigation Junior Counsel in 2019 and a recommended Australian Wills and Estates Litigation Junior Counsel in 2019.
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:
- Ivanna Ann-Marie Ferenc Stojic v Simon Stojic [2017] NSWSC 1235 (12 September 2017)
Revocation of grant of probate - I L Pardey & Ors v A W Pardey [2017] NSWSC 1413 (17 October 2017)
Codicil with no operative effect - Stojic v Stojic [2018] NSWCA 28 (28 February 2018)
Appeal of probate proceedings – new trial ordered - Stojic v Stojic [2018] NSWSC 723 (8 May 2018)
Interim administration - Stojic v Stojic [2018] NSWSC 1268 (15 August 2018
Powers of interim administrators, judicial advice, voluntary administration - In the matter of Statewide Office Furniture Pty Ltd [2018] NSWSC 1393 (7 September 2018)
Restitution, enforcement, costs - Angius v Salier [2018] NSWSC 808 (31 May 2018)
Application by beneficiary for joinder - Gianna (Jenny) Angius v Gordon Albert Salier [2018] NSWSC 995 (29 June 2018)
Application by beneficiary for joinder, application by beneficiary for interim distribution - Estate Reid; Roberts v Moses and Palmer [2018] NSWSC 1145 (26 July 2018)
Construction and rectification of will - Egberts v Evans [2018] NSWSC 1974 (15 November 2018)
Settlement of proceedings, two beneficiaries do not consent - Katramados v Hasapis (No 4) [2019] NSWSC 846
Complex estate – trustee for sale – order for possession - Graeme Philip White as administrator of the Estate of Josephine Agnes Virgona v Attorney General of NSW [2019] NSWSC 917 (17 July 2019)
Cy pres scheme - Kelly v Kelly [2019] NSWSC 994 (8 August 2019)
Application for approval of release
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.
+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. He is an adjunct lecturer for College of Law (Masters of Applied Law), Family Provision subject and is also a casual lecturer in the Law Extension Committee Diploma of Law, Succession Law subject.
Craig was named in the Doyle’s Guide as a leading New South Wales Wills and Estates Litigation Junior Counsel in 2019 and a recommended Australian Wills and Estates Litigation Junior Counsel in 2019.
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:
- Ivanna Ann-Marie Ferenc Stojic v Simon Stojic [2017] NSWSC 1235 (12 September 2017)
Revocation of grant of probate - I L Pardey & Ors v A W Pardey [2017] NSWSC 1413 (17 October 2017)
Codicil with no operative effect - Stojic v Stojic [2018] NSWCA 28 (28 February 2018)
Appeal of probate proceedings – new trial ordered - Stojic v Stojic [2018] NSWSC 723 (8 May 2018)
Interim administration - Stojic v Stojic [2018] NSWSC 1268 (15 August 2018
Powers of interim administrators, judicial advice, voluntary administration - In the matter of Statewide Office Furniture Pty Ltd [2018] NSWSC 1393 (7 September 2018)
Restitution, enforcement, costs - Angius v Salier [2018] NSWSC 808 (31 May 2018)
Application by beneficiary for joinder - Gianna (Jenny) Angius v Gordon Albert Salier [2018] NSWSC 995 (29 June 2018)
Application by beneficiary for joinder, application by beneficiary for interim distribution - Estate Reid; Roberts v Moses and Palmer [2018] NSWSC 1145 (26 July 2018)
Construction and rectification of will - Egberts v Evans [2018] NSWSC 1974 (15 November 2018)
Settlement of proceedings, two beneficiaries do not consent - Katramados v Hasapis (No 4) [2019] NSWSC 846
Complex estate – trustee for sale – order for possession - Graeme Philip White as administrator of the Estate of Josephine Agnes Virgona v Attorney General of NSW [2019] NSWSC 917 (17 July 2019)
Cy pres scheme - Kelly v Kelly [2019] NSWSC 994 (8 August 2019)
Application for approval of release
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.
+61 2 8915 2036 +61 2 9223 4204
cbirtles@wentworthchambers.com.au