Attwood Marshall Lawyers is pleased to announce that Estate Litigation Special Counsel Lucy McPherson and Wills and Estates Senior Associate Debbie Sage have been promoted to Partner status.
Attwood Marshall Lawyers has strengthened its partnership team with two well-deserved promotions. Estate Litigation Special Counsel Lucy McPherson and Wills and Estates Senior Associate Debbie Sage have both been elevated to Partner level.
Lucy’s 10 years with the firm navigating the intricacies of complex cross-jurisdictional estate disputes and a commitment to client advocacy, along with Debbie’s 20 years of expertise and a compassionate approach that guides clients through sensitive estate administration and aged care matters, make them a valuable addition to the partnership.
Jeff Garrett, Legal Practice Director, who will celebrate his 43rd year with the firm in February 2024, congratulated Lucy and Debbie and is excited to have them on board in the firm as Partners.
“Lucy has demonstrated exceptional expertise in estate litigation and a very clear commitment to fulfilling our intent, which is to help people and change their lives for the better. She is the epitome of what I term an ‘equity employee’ – and is ready for the step up to Partner,” said Jeff.
“She dedicates herself to improving the firm as a whole, sharing knowledge with her fellow lawyers, and spearheading the growth of knowledge and experience in the estate litigation department. Lucy brings a calm level of experience and confidence to a complex and stressful area of law that benefits our clients. I extend my sincere congratulations to Lucy on this well-deserved appointment.”
“Similarly, Debbie has given so much of herself to all facets of the firm since joining us 18 years ago, including her tireless work with charities and particularly the Salvation Army. Her selfless commitment to her work in aged care, coupled with the emotional support she provides to her clients and their families, has resulted in enduring relationships and invaluable referrals for the firm.”
“Debbie has also contributed to the ongoing nurturing and training of our junior lawyers and paralegals, as well as providing support to all members of the Wills & Estates team. We are truly privileged to have her among our ranks and she creates such positive energy within the firm. I congratulate Debbie on another great milestone with the firm and in her career,” Jeff said.
This latest round of promotions brings the number of partners at Attwood Marshall Lawyers to six, with Lucy and Debbie joining Legal Practice Director, Jeff Garrett, Wills & Estates Partner, Angela Harry, Compensation Law Partner, Jeremy Roche, and Commercial Litigation Partner, Charles Lethbridge. Former Property & Commercial Partner, Barry van Heerden, is retiring as of 22 December 2023.
Lucy is based at our Coolangatta office and Debbie is based at our Kingscliff office, however both are available to take appointments at all our office locations including Robina Town Centre, Southport, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
On behalf of all partners and staff, we congratulate Lucy and Debbie on their well-deserved promotions!
Lucy’s Background
Lucy has a wealth of experience in estate litigation, having worked exclusively in this area since 2010. Based on the border of NSW and QLD, she brings extensive expertise and a deep understanding of cross-jurisdictional issues in succession law.
She joined Attwood Marshall Lawyers in 2014 and has been the head of the firm’s Estate Litigation department since 2020.
She carries a diverse case load, excelling in family provision claims (including notional estate orders), contested probate applications, Will construction and rectification, Statutory Wills, superannuation death benefit claims, and powers of attorney disputes.
With lawyers in the family, Lucy developed an innate sense of justice from a young age and was drawn to pursuing a career in law, where she felt she could do something purposeful in her day-to-day work and contribute to something bigger than herself. She is a natural strategist and problem solver who takes a practical approach to resolving issues.
Lucy has also put herself on the map on a national level with her expertise helping people who are involved in disputes with the Queensland Public Trustee and New South Wales Trustee and Guardian.
She has spearheaded several community awareness campaigns, speaking out about the wrongs being done by Public Trustees. She has appeared on ABC’s 7.30 Report, ABC Radio, Radio 4CRB, and provided comment to other media outlets to educate the community and provide guidance on what people can do to seek help if they face issues with the management of the Public Trustee system, or for grieving families left to deal with Trustees who are failing to fulfil their duties as executor or administrator of a deceased estate.
“I am deeply honoured to assume a leadership role within Attwood Marshall Lawyers,” Lucy said.
“We do things differently here at Attwood Marshall Lawyers, and I firmly believe that our unique way of working not only enhances our effectiveness as lawyers but also contributes to a far better experience for our clients.”
Debbie’s Background
With over 20 years working in the field of Wills and Estates, Debbie provides expert advice to executors, beneficiaries and attorneys, with a compassionate approach that helps clients carry out all parts of the administration process with confidence. She joined Attwood Marshall Lawyers in 2005.
Debbie also represents many clients who live in aged care facilities or who are preparing for their transition into aged care. Debbie has developed a passion for this niche area of law and heads up our Aged Care department – providing expert aged care and retirement planning advice to ensure her clients make informed decisions about their aged care options.
Outside of her legal duties, Debbie is also committed to fighting for seniors’ safety, wellbeing, and rights, and she campaigns for the specific criminalisation of elder abuse. She is also an Accredited Aged Care Professional with Aged Care Steps, and regularly speaks at community events, educating the public and answering questions about their rights and concerns.
In 2023 Debbie was named as a finalist in the Gold Coast Bulletin Women of the Year Awards as well as the Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards. Both nominations were in recognition of all the hard work she does advocating for the safety and wellbeing of the elderly community.
“I am so grateful to be a part of such an incredible team. The care and mutual respect we have for each other is a true testament to our success and significant growth as a firm. I am genuinely excited for the opportunities that lie ahead for us in the coming year,” Debbie said.
Attwood Marshall Lawyers – supporting you through life’s toughest moments
Attwood Marshall Lawyers has specialist departments across all areas of law, headed up by either a partner or senior associate who practices exclusively in that area. This enables us to provide an all-round legal service to our clients while retaining the ability to provide specialist advice across each area of law.
We provide expert legal services in Wills and estates, family law, personal injury and compensation law, estate and commercial litigation, property and commercial law, equine and racing law, and aged care.
Our staff pride themselves on their unwavering dedication to their clients and commitment to delivering exceptional legal services, sharing a renowned intent to help people and change their lives for the better.
You can make an appointment with any of our lawyers by visiting our website and using our online booking app.
