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Aotea has completed her Bachelor of Laws at the Queensland University of Technology and her degree assists her in a greater understanding of the intricacies of the law and the issues clients contact us about.

In the near-20 years Aotea has worked in law firms, she has worked in small boutique conveyancing firms, mid-range firms assisting in personal injury and insurance claims, as well as succession and estates administration law, and finally in a large corporate firm, working primarily in commercial law.

A return to her home town sees Aotea working as a paralegal and she routinely assists with aspects of debt disputes, breaches of contract, commercial leasing and other agreements, but her primary focus is on succession law.  Aotea assists with drafting simple Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorneys, Advance Health Directives and a near autonomous role in estates administration, overseeing all aspects including the calling in of assets, assessment of liabilities, transfer of property and applications for Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration (if applicable) and distributions to the beneficiaries.

Aotea takes immense pride in having positive relationships with clients despite often being at the centre of their most difficult days and, in some cases, being present for one of the most overwhelming processes a person will experience.  She always attempts to make the process a simple and efficient one, wherever and whenever possible.

Overview

Teresa Adornato is an experienced lawyer practising in a variety of areas of law to the benefit of her clients.

Teresa started her career in law as a legal secretary, advancing to manage the offices of Paul Loane Solicitor, completing her law degree in 2009 before taking over the Biloela practice as a sole practitioner in 2015.

Teresa has the unique ability to be able to represent generations of clients throughout each of their life journey from young adulthood to later in life, with buying their first home, starting a business, leasing premises, wills, family law, succession planning and estate administration.

Teresa’s focus is on helping people understand the law and its processes whilst attaining the desired outcomes as efficiently as possible. She does that by keeping up with technology and training her staff on innovative software and programs.

Areas of Expertise

Property

Over the last 6 years, Teresa has been involved in nearly a thousand property transactions from the simple first home to complex rural properties, developments and businesses. She has embraced changes in legislation and rules and welcomed the advent of electronic settlements and reduced paper/electronic files.

Trusts, Companies & Commercial

Teresa has a particular interest in trust, company and commercial transactions assisting clients in finding solutions to trust deed issues, company structures and asset protection, from the simple to the complicated.

Wills, Succession Planning & Estate Administration

Teresa enjoys guiding clients through succession planning, Wills and Enduring Powers of Attorney and is rarely surprised when clients admit they were not aware that certain property sits outside of a person’s estate when they pass. The importance of identifying what happens with that property cannot be understated or overlooked and is just one of the reasons why it is important to get good legal advice when drafting a Will.

Family

The end of a relationship is one of those stressful life events that can be overwhelming, and Teresa has the experience to help navigate a pathway through to a resolution, preferably without the need to go to Court. If it is necessary to go to Court, she is there to guide her clients through the court and dispute resolution process with empathy and strong advocacy.

Community & Interests

Teresa supports numerous local community and sporting groups, either by way of pro-bono legal assistance, sponsorship or donations.  Teresa has been a committee member of the Queensland Law Society for 8 years and a member of Practice Management Course Committee for the past 6 years.​