Allan Swan
Areas of expertise:
- Estate Planning;
- Superannuation; and
- Trusts, tax and asset protection
Academic Qualifications:
Bachelor of Economics - Monash University
Bachelor of Laws - Monash university
Diploma of Financial Services - Integratec
Accredited SMSF Specialist Advisor - SPAA
Chartered Tax Adviser - Taxation Insitute of Australia
Approximately two thirds of Allan's working week is spent working as a legal practitioner. The balance is taken up with his EPSTTAP professional practitioner training and writing role. In that second role, Allan presents seminars, workshops and conference papers to the financial industry and to the accounting and legal professions, including the LexisNexis Trusts and Estate Planning Workshop series, which addresses core practitioner concerns and offers possible solutions to these, while also exploring and assessing "smarter" approaches in going about one's work. Allan also sits on the editorial panel of Retirement and Estate Planning, supporting the newsletter's content development.
Allan also produces publications and materials such as presentation slides and notes, personal trust summaries, pocket summaries and case studies. An example of Allan's extensive writing includes Australian Estate Planning (published by CCH) and Estate Planning Documents, published by Moores Legal.
About Moores Legal
Moores Legal is a mid-sized Melbourne law practice servicing clients in the corporate and community sectors as well as private clients. The Moores Legal team includes 11 Law Institute of Victoria accredited specialists in the areas of company law, workplace relations, not for profit law, property and construction law, aged care, elder law, estate planning, superannuation and structuring, dispute resolution, family law and personal injury law.
What initially drew you to this area of law?
Family experience and personal ethos. Many of my relatives were dairy farmers in West Gippsland in Victoria. Farm succession was a particular challenge for most of them. Secondly, both my wife and I grew up with sisters with intellectual disabilities. The need for beneficiary needs focused estate planning is a major issue for me. In addition, as a Christian I have always been keen to work in an area of law where I feel I can make a positive contribution to people's lives.
What are your hobbies?
I am a husband and a father of four adult children. My hobbies have two themes: people and history, together with games and sport. I am an avid reader of biographies and the people aspect of history and love to travel to interesting places - this year to Turkey, Jordan and Israel. I play tennis twice a week and bridge once a week and have a garden to tend. I have three large dogs that my wife and I regularly exercise.
What does a typical day involve for you?
My legal practice days revolve around seeing clients, problem solving and checking delegated letters of advice and documentation. My training and writing days (about one third of my working life) are a nice contrast.
What challenges do practitioners in this area of law face?
Changes occur on so many fronts, eg, tax and other laws and changes to social mores. I am finding the casualisation of many people's domestic relationships has changed the focus of estate planning.