Simone Hargreaves
Director & Principal Lawyer
"Estate planning is one of the most meaningful things a family can do. My purpose is to make that process clear, considered, and - more often than clients expect - something they actually feel good about."
Simone Hargreaves is a succession lawyer and the founder of The Estate Planning Centre. For many years, she has guided families, business owners, and high-net-worth individuals through the legal and human complexities of estate planning, designing structures that are strategically sound, clearly documented, and genuinely reflective of each client's goals.
Her practice spans wills, testamentary trusts, powers of attorney, advance care directives, estate administration, and dispute resolution. She works with clients at every stage of life, and with particular depth across blended families, business succession, and complex multi-entity structures.
Simone holds a Master of Applied Laws (Wills & Estates and Estate Planning) from the College of Law — a postgraduate qualification that reflects a level of specialist knowledge few practitioners in this field pursue. She is also a designated Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) with the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), the global professional body for practitioners in trusts, estates, and succession. The TEP designation is held by fewer than 20,000 practitioners worldwide and recognises a high standard of technical knowledge and professional experience.
Simone is admitted to practise in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia, and is an Accredited Collaborative Practitioner with the Australian Association of Collaborative Professionals (AACP) and Collaborative Professionals NSW. This accreditation reflects her commitment to resolving estate disputes with care and skill — reaching outcomes that are durable, fair, and as protective of family relationships as possible.
She is a sought-after referral partner for financial planners, accountants, and other advisors seeking a lawyer they can trust to handle their clients' estate planning with the same standard of care they would deliver themselves.
What distinguishes Simone's approach is the combination of rigorous legal analysis and genuine human connection. Estate planning involves deeply personal decisions — about family, legacy, and what happens when life changes. Simone brings both the technical precision and the steadiness that clients need to navigate those decisions with confidence.
Beyond The Office
When Simone isn't working with clients, she can be found doing pilates (with varying levels of grace), catching up with friends over good food, and keeping pace with life as mother to two adult children and one very busy teenager. She lives in Sydney with her husband, Tom, and firmly believes there is no problem that cannot be improved by another cup of coffee.
Credentials & Memberships
Master of Applied Laws (Wills & Estates and Estate Planning), College of Law
Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, College of Law
Bachelor of Laws/ Bachelor of Commerce, University of Western Sydney
Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP), Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
Accredited Collaborative Practitioner, Australian Association of Collaborative Professionals (AACP)
Member, Collaborative Professionals NSW
Admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales
Admitted to the High Court of Australia