Taree lawyer Joshua Crowther from Stacks Law Firm has been admitted to the top rank of experts on wills and estates in NSW.
Mr Crowther, 34, is the first Taree lawyer to become a Law Society Accredited Specialist in Wills and Estates and joins the handful of recognized top experts in the specialised field working in country NSW.
“It doesn’t mean I charge more for my services, but it gives me enormous satisfaction knowing I am the best equipped I can possibly be to give the best advice to clients about Wills, Estates and Contesting Wills matters,” he said.
The accreditation is only offered every two to three years and only six people in NSW were admitted this time around.
Outside Sydney and Newcastle, there are only six regional accredited specialists in Wills & Estates in all NSW.
It is a grueling test open only to lawyers who have specialized in Wills & Estates for more than five years.
The test includes a mock 230 page file in which Joshua gave specialised advice in a series of highly complex matters, written exams and interviews with simulated clients who have difficult problems.
“I did a Masters degree in Wills and Estates a couple of years ago but the tests to become a Law Society Accredited Specialist were much harder,” Mr Crowther said.
It was tough as he was working full time and helping raise his two toddlers and supporting his pregnant wife. After working all day and then putting the kids to bed at night he would return to work until 3am or 4am to work on the complex mock file.