Death can be a tough topic at any stage. For Sian Ogge, however, dealing with death is how she makes her living. As Senior Associate of Gold Coast firm Small Myers Hughes, Sian specialises in wills and estates law, and was recently recognised as the best graduating student in Wills & Estates.
Insights spoke to Sian about the unusual challenges her day to day work involves, what she finds most rewarding about her role, and what advice she might have for lawyers looking into this area of law.
Helping people make sound choices through high emotions
Sian practises in wills, asset and estate planning, estate administration, estate litigation, trusts and superannuation.
“My area is difficult because it involves death,” said Sian. This is true at every stage - estate planning, estate administration, or litigation.
“Not many people like to talk about death, particularly their own, and so at the planning stage, it can be challenging to keep the client motivated and to think rationally about death,” explained Sian.
“At the estate administration or litigation stage, people often make emotive decisions, rather than think commercially,” observed Sian. “Whilst I strive to be empathetic to my clients, I also try to keep my clients thinking practically particularly about their reasonable prospects of success and the impact the litigation will have on the size of the estate.”
Like many LLM students, Sian studied alongside her work and personal commitments.
“I think a few things contributed to my success,” said Sian. “Hard work and many late nights were the major factors, but I also felt incredibly supported by my family and my work place.”
Learning online helped Sian fit her studies around her work life, but it was crucial to stay motivated.
“It really helped that I was interested in succession law and worked in that area, so I enjoyed what I was learning and I was able to apply the content to my day to day work,” said Sian.
From high net wealth to blended families, it’s a complex and interesting area of law
“Losing someone close is an extremely difficult time in any person’s life,” observed Sian. “I find it rewarding to help people who are not only grieving but also dealing with the stress and anxiety of being involved in estate litigation with family members. I try my best to reduce that stress and anxiety for the client.”
In addition to the emotional dimension of wills and estates law, the changing nature of Australia families means this area of law evolves as families evolve.
“Complex family relationships, including the increase of blended families, dealing with high net wealth individuals and estates, and the various ownership structures at play has made the role of succession lawyers more challenging,” said Sian. “For this reason, it is important to understand, or at least identify, the potential issues from other areas of law, such as tax.”
For Sian, this means working collaboratively with colleagues in other areas of law so as to provide a wide range of tailored options for her clients.
A pathway to promotion and STEP membership
Sian credits her studies with providing a pathway to Senior Associate, a promotion she received after completing her LLM in Applied Law (Wills & Estates).
“My studies definitely improved my overall knowledge in my practice area,” said Sian. “I started my Masters with two years’ experience in succession law. My studies gave me a greater depth of understanding in complex areas such as taxation and superannuation.”
Like any good student, she encourages lawyers to make the most of their weekly readings and interactive sessions, which can offer an opportunity to network and meet fellow practitioners.
“The interactions are a good place to ask questions about the assessments and your own difficult files which relate to the subject matter,” explained Sian. “In particular, Zoom meetings have been a great opportunity to meet other students interested in the same area of law.”
“I really enjoyed The College of Law’s practical assessment style; I could apply the skills and knowledge obtained from those assessments to my everyday workload,” said Sian.
As part of completing her LLM in Applied Law (Wills & Estates) through The College, Sian is now eligible to apply to become a member of The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), the peak body of its kind.
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