Associate

Ruperte Dobson

Ruperte is an Associate whose primary areas of practice are estate administration, estate planning and trust administration.  Ruperte also works in the area of private client services, assisting clients with matters such as wills, enduring powers of attorney, and retirement village agreements.

Ruperte joined mds law in 2020 and prior to that worked in these areas with several Christchurch firms and was also employed for over 20 years by a large statutory trustee company. 

Ruperte likes to work closely with clients and to involve their families where appropriate to ensure that they obtain the results most suited to their needs.

Having had elderly parents who moved from living independently into different residential care facilities she feels that this experience has enabled her to empathise with the issues that this change raises for the individuals and for their families.

Ruperte is approachable and honest with her clients.  Some of the transactions she undertakes can be lengthy and it is important to keep clients informed of the steps along the way.

Some areas of Ruperte’s practice involve contact with people who are grieving the loss of a close family member or friend.  While there are formal legal processes which must be worked through it is also really important to ensure that the personal aspect is respected.

As Ruperte has worked in these areas for many years she believes that she has developed the appropriate skills to enable her to help clients through what can be a very emotional time.

Ruperte has two adult children who have moved away from Christchurch but have left much “stuff” behind.  She is steadily working at de-cluttering this with the assistance of her small elderly dog Dolly, and the more recent addition of an SPCA rescue cat Fika.

Dolly enjoys a daily walk, although she is slower than she used to be, and they are regulars at the growing number of dog-friendly cafes in the city.

  • New Zealand Law Society

  • NZLS Property Law Section

Partner
Charlene Benson
Partner

Charlene specialises in property (residential, rural and commercial), trust and estate planning, deceased estates and elder care (wills, enduring powers of attorney and retirement villages).

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Charlene Benson
Legal Secretary / Estate Administrator
Julie O'Dea
Legal Secretary / Estate Administrator

Julie is currently working closely with three authors, two of whom work mainly in Estates and Trusts and the other in General Law.

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Julie O'Dea
Law Clerk
Vicky Pankhurst
Law Clerk

Vicky works in the private client team, with a focus on trust and estate administration, estate planning, wills and enduring powers of attorney.

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Vicky Pankhurst
Registered Legal Executive
Sara Jemmett
Registered Legal Executive

Sara is a Registered Legal Executive who specialises in trust and estate administration, estate planning, elder care (including wills, enduring powers of attorney, and retirement village occupation agreements), residential conveyancing, and various commercial matters.

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Sara Jemmett