On the 4th September, David Whiting came to the Florey and spoke on the issue of estate planning for us. It was a great event and we have here the audio of the event. The video is to come shortly and a full transcription of the audio will be online asap. Please note that there were questions from the floor and they were not picked up clearly on the microphone so may be hard to hear. The full transcript will cover this. David Whiting is a Principal lawyer at Donaldson Whiting + Grindal and one of Melbourne's best-known lawyers. For many years he has helped to deepen Victorians' understanding of the law as a radio contributor on 774 ABC Melbourne, while demonstrating his skills at explaining legal processes. David works in many areas of the law, and so is able to act as well-informed counsellor to his clients, providing advice and assistance on big decisions and stressful problems. The favourite compliment of his career? "You gave me real peace of mind". He describes himself as focusing on clients' "deals, disputes and desires". In the area of wills and probate, he prepares wills and powers of attorney and assists in their administration. Where necessary he makes or defends claims against them. On request, he will act as executor. He has a number of clients where he acts as their attorney, and will later act as their executor. A born generalist, he has diligently avoided specialisation. "In an ever-changing world, narrowing your focus limits your opportunities, and your usefulness," he says. He looks for the big picture, while under-standing the detail.

• published: 02 Oct 2014
• views: 5