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MusB/LLB
Georgia Angus is a partner at Morris. Georgia has specialised in trust, estate and family disputes for over a decade.
Georgia acts for individuals, families, professional trustees and charities on complex and high-stakes matters. Georgia is instructed on a broad range of private client disputes, including breach of trust proceedings and claims arising on death. She also advises on all issues arising from a relationship breakdown, with particular expertise in relationship property disputes involving business structures and assets held in trust.
Given the nature of her clients, Georgia frequently resolves matters confidentially at mediation or by negotiation. She is also an experienced advocate, appearing regularly in the Family Court, High Court and Court of Appeal.
Georgia began her career at Russell McVeagh in the real estate team and brings a commercial approach and pragmatism to her advice. Her international experience includes in the London office of US firm, McDermott Will & Schulte. Georgia has extensive multi-jurisdictional experience, having acted for clients in high-profile contentious trust proceedings in the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and various offshore jurisdictions including The Bahamas, Bermuda, BVI and Jersey.
Georgia frequently speaks at conferences on her areas of expertise. She has been published in the New Zealand Law Journal and the STEP Trust Quarterly Review on the role of charities in estate disputes and seeking information from trustees.
Georgia is a full member of STEP (TEP) and is on the STEP New Zealand board. She completed the STEP Advanced Diploma in Trusts and Estates with distinction and the Advanced Certificate in Trust Disputes with distinction, being the top-scoring student worldwide. Georgia is a member of the Auckland Women Lawyers’ Association and the Family Law Section.
Georgia was listed in the 2024 and 2025 Doyle's Guide as a recommend family lawyer and as a “rising star” for 2022 by NZ Lawyer.
Experience
Lead counsel for successful High Court application to remove trustees of a testamentary trust (Gallagher-Dekker v Gallagher [2024] NZHC 1329) and subsequent appeal (Gallagher v Gallagher-Dekker [2025] NZCA 421).
Lead counsel for successful respondent in High Court appeal against decision declining summary judgment of claim to enforce child support agreement (Holden v Holden [2022] NZHC 3561).
Junior counsel for husband in successful opposition of injunction application in relation to post-separation property development.
Acting for spouse on successful interim maintenance application, obtaining one of the highest awards made by the Family Court.
Representing appellant trustees in successful appeal of summary judgment decision that a deed of variation was invalid (Singh v Ash [2018] NZCA 310).
Junior counsel for the Neurological Foundation in Blumenthal v Stewart [2017] NZCA 181, successfully opposing an appeal by the deceased’s adult stepson in relation to claims under the Law Reform (Testamentary Promises) Act 1949 and in constructive trust.
Acting for trustees in opposed High Court application for directions in relation to the final distribution of trust assets.
Acting for high net worth individual in numerous proceedings arising out of a contested estate involving assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars and actions in New Zealand, Hong Kong and BVI.
Acting for ultra-high net worth beneficiary in breach of trust, removal of trustee and injunction proceedings relating to the appointment of USD 400,000,000 to trusts she was not a beneficiary of.
Acting for trustee company in successful without notice application for a blessing order where criminal allegations had been made in relation to the settlor’s assets.
Representing high net worth husband in division of property, family violence and care of children dispute, involving high value companies, trusts and jurisdictional issues.
Representing husband in successful application to set aside agreement dividing relationship property on the basis of serious injustice.
Publications
"Asset Protection Update Forum - trust and estate litigation" (paper presented through NZLS, March 2025).
“An end to the substratum rule? An analysis of Grand View Private Trust Co Ltd v Wong [2022] UKPC 47” (paper presented through STEP NZ, September 2023).
“Good deeds and charities - varying charitable trusts” (paper presented through NZLS, June 2023).
“The privilege of being a trustee: can a trustee ever avoid disclosure of legal advice in New Zealand?” (2021) 19(3) TQR 21.
“Enforcing Promises – the Testamentary Promises Act” (paper presented through NZLS, February 2021).
“Data debrief: weighing up the impact of Dawson-Damer v Taylor Wessing LLP” (2020) 18(2) TQR 19.
“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t – trustees, costs and litigation” (2018) 924 LawTalk.
“Having your cake…? A review of the Supreme Court’s decision in Horsfall v Potter” (2018) 916 LawTalk.
“From Russia with Love (and Trust)” (2017) 913 LawTalk.
“Supreme Court’s guide for disclosure of trust documents” (2017) 906 LawTalk.
“Just cause – the emergence of charity cases” (2016) NZLJ 107.
Lead counsel for successful High Court application to remove trustees of a testamentary trust (Gallagher-Dekker v Gallagher [2024] NZHC 1329) and subsequent appeal (Gallagher v Gallagher-Dekker [2025] NZCA 421).
Lead counsel for successful respondent in High Court appeal against decision declining summary judgment of claim to enforce child support agreement (Holden v Holden [2022] NZHC 3561).
Junior counsel for husband in successful opposition of injunction application in relation to post-separation property development.
Acting for spouse on successful interim maintenance application, obtaining one of the highest awards made by the Family Court.
Representing appellant trustees in successful appeal of summary judgment decision that a deed of variation was invalid (Singh v Ash [2018] NZCA 310).
Junior counsel for the Neurological Foundation in Blumenthal v Stewart [2017] NZCA 181, successfully opposing an appeal by the deceased’s adult stepson in relation to claims under the Law Reform (Testamentary Promises) Act 1949 and in constructive trust.
Acting for trustees in opposed High Court application for directions in relation to the final distribution of trust assets.
Acting for high net worth individual in numerous proceedings arising out of a contested estate involving assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars and actions in New Zealand, Hong Kong and BVI.
Acting for ultra-high net worth beneficiary in breach of trust, removal of trustee and injunction proceedings relating to the appointment of USD 400,000,000 to trusts she was not a beneficiary of.
Acting for trustee company in successful without notice application for a blessing order where criminal allegations had been made in relation to the settlor’s assets.
Representing high net worth husband in division of property, family violence and care of children dispute, involving high value companies, trusts and jurisdictional issues.
Representing husband in successful application to set aside agreement dividing relationship property on the basis of serious injustice.
"Asset Protection Update Forum - trust and estate litigation" (paper presented through NZLS, March 2025).
“An end to the substratum rule? An analysis of Grand View Private Trust Co Ltd v Wong [2022] UKPC 47” (paper presented through STEP NZ, September 2023).
“Good deeds and charities - varying charitable trusts” (paper presented through NZLS, June 2023).
“The privilege of being a trustee: can a trustee ever avoid disclosure of legal advice in New Zealand?” (2021) 19(3) TQR 21.
“Enforcing Promises – the Testamentary Promises Act” (paper presented through NZLS, February 2021).
“Data debrief: weighing up the impact of Dawson-Damer v Taylor Wessing LLP” (2020) 18(2) TQR 19.
“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t – trustees, costs and litigation” (2018) 924 LawTalk.
“Having your cake…? A review of the Supreme Court’s decision in Horsfall v Potter” (2018) 916 LawTalk.
“From Russia with Love (and Trust)” (2017) 913 LawTalk.
“Supreme Court’s guide for disclosure of trust documents” (2017) 906 LawTalk.
“Just cause – the emergence of charity cases” (2016) NZLJ 107.
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