Adelaide Ryan

Adelaide has over 20 years’ experience in the legal industry. She has practised in wills, estates and succession law, and also in property law since her admission as a legal practitioner in 2012.

Adelaide acts for various clients: individuals and their families, executors and administrators of deceased estates, trusts, especially those connected to deceased estates and religious institutions and corporate entities.

She is experienced in providing advice across a wide range of matters such as executors’ and administrators’ applications to the Supreme Court of New South Wales for Grants of Probate, Letters of Administration and Reseals, administering simple and complex estates (including those involving foreign assets and foreign beneficiaries) in accordance with  a will or on intestacy, advising beneficiaries of deceased estates in relation to their rights and entitlements, preparing powers of attorney and appointments of enduring guardian, advising on superannuation and trust matters, asset protection, structuring, transfer duty implications, residential conveyancing (purchase, sale implementation of family law court orders, and occupancy of premises within a retirement village or aged care facility) and other general advice.

Adelaide has extensive experience in estate disputes in respect of wills, family provision claims and informal testamentary documents.  She has acted for parties to estate disputes both in the informal resolution of contentious matters and in initiating and defending litigation proceedings.

“I work with clients at some of the most stressful times in their lives. So I see it as an achievement when I am able to guide a client through the legal process from the start to finish in a way that is most practical, time-efficient and cost-effective.”

Key Professional Achievements

• Adelaide commenced her employment with Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers in 2006 as Accounts Clerk gaining valuable experience in accounting practices before commencing her law studies.
• In July 2010, Adelaide joined the Business Services Division as Law Clerk specialising in Property Law, Deceased Estates and Estate Planning.
• Adelaide obtained her law degree from the University of Technology Sydney in 2012.
• Adelaide was admitted as a solicitor in the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2012.
• Adelaide obtained her Masters of Laws (Applied Law) majoring in Wills and Estates from the College of Law in 2019.
• Adelaide was appointed Senior Associate in January 2022 and Special Counsel in July 2024.