Australian Broadcasting Reviews 

ABC's series asks what happens when wills go wrong. It should also ask what happens when the Will doesn't go wrong — but the legal profession fails to defend it.
My mother's Will is still valid and probated. I am the Sole Executrix and Sole Beneficiary. I was also the person who sacrificed my own life and future to provide a home and future for both of us, working for decades without remuneration, and I am the only surviving person with firsthand knowledge of what we did.
I sought legal representation in New Zealand and Australia to defend the Will and properly represent my position as executor and beneficiary.
My experience was how they are, shock treatment, bullying, gas lighting, abuse, extortions, abuse and threats. I found all barristers failed to clearly define what they were undertaking to do, would not properly engage with the complete factual history, and — particularly in New Zealand — I experienced conduct I regarded as abusive, intimidating, dismissive and involving gaslighting and pressure over fees.
I paid substantial retainers and legal fees, yet the fundamental work I needed — proper representation of my position and defence of the Will — was non existent.
Many complaints to law society and judicial commissioner and have extensive documentation relating to lawyers, invoices, court proceedings and complaints. I dispute aspects of the factual accounts and billing arising from these matters. My experience was that the complaints did not properly address the substance of the evidence I provided.
After barristers failed to defend this conflicted, non transparent patrick james kennelly, pjk was recommended to me by another barrister who was unable to attend.
After approximately three months, there was still no concluded agreement or clearly defined retainer setting out what pjk would do, his responsibilities, or what work I had authorised.
During this period I experienced his conduct toward me as abusive, intimidating and dismissive. I was not satisfied that I was receiving the clear professional representation I was seeking. The whole time I was searching for someone who knew what to do. To date there is nobody that can define what they are supposed to do.
I subsequently became aware, after the May 2021 hearing, of multiple sets of proceedings against pjk happening. There was nothing but abuse from him, the fact was pjk was not preparing but was undisclosed fighting multiple sets of proceedings about his corrupt conduct.
My central concern is simple: there was no clearly defined retainer establishing the work authorized before substantial costs accumulated, after the fact.
An hourly rate does not, by itself, tell a client what work is authorized or what the solicitor/barrister has undertaken to do. Clients need to know the scope of the engagement, the responsibilities being assumed and the basis on which substantial costs may be incurred.
I also dispute a substantial invoice which I say increased from approximately $125,000 to $185,000.
My review concerns my own direct experience: the absence of a clearly defined retainer, the failure to clearly establish what work could be done, when in fact nothing was being done, but abusing me, disputed costs, and the way I was treated while attempting to obtain legal representation.
The bigger question
A valid Will does not defend itself.
An executor and beneficiary cannot properly defend it if the professionals retained to represent them do not listen, establish the facts, communicate nor prepare nor properly present the client's position.
Who represents the person defending a valid, probated Will?
And if the legal profession provides extensive services for challenging Wills, who is accountable for ensuring that a valid Will is properly defended when it is challenged?
Estates can involve hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. Legal costs themselves can substantially erode the estate that the Will was intended to distribute.
The public deserves investigation of both sides: not only what happens when Wills go wrong, but what happens when legal representatives and the justice system fail to properly represent the person defending a Will that the executor and beneficiary maintain was valid.
This is why I object strongly to the premise of the ABC's "Over my Dead Body Series."It asks what happens when will go wrong, including fraud and undue influence. But where is the investigation into what happens when the barristers themselves are incompetent, negligent, fail to perform, are abusive.The law society covered up the conduct complained about.
That is the other side of the story.

The ABC biase is extraordinary. I hardly read their web page anymore, they used to be centrist but have lurched so far to the left. But today I was killing time and I read a story about AI facial recognition tech being used by WA police. In the article they direct you to a link to another story about facial recognition and it's use by Bunnings. The report talks about the adverse findings of the privacy commissioner and it's use. To be objective ABC should also be providing a link that a later appeal to Administrative Review Tribunal overturned the finding of the privacy commissioner, which the ABC did report on.

James Glendays remarks on ABC this morning regarding people who are wary of vaccination of babies and children.. calling them morons is disgusting and highly unprofessional... Whatever your beliefs as a interviewer.. keep your nasty remarks to yourself
I use to think ABC was where you go for some professional journalism... How wrong was I

The disgusting film you aired about Gina Rhinhart was just vile. If you think that this is a piece of satire you all need straight jackets. I don't want my taxes paying for this nefarious institute. And if you think it is so funny then substitute Gina for Penny Wong in the film. You wouldn't dare would you? ABC is just garbage.

Disgraceful episode on Gina. The fact the ABC will not apologise is beyond disgraceful. Imagine if I wrote here what I would like to do the ABC... in their own words.
ABC .. you are an International embarrassment.

It is hard to believe the ABC news is happy to avoid the true facts. I recently seen there story on smoking and how dare they avoid the fact the government has created the black market tobacco trade by its disgusting constant increase of tax on tobacco. If they didn't put it so high there wouldn't be a black market for tobacco but then they proclaim smoking is at its lowest! Bs! More people are buying black market tobacco so how are they monitoring that statistic? There not so dont support the government's profiteering on tobacco products. Why lie? We the people deserve a truthful voice and it certainly isn't ABC anymore. Governed media is misdirection population and should be illegal.

ABC has lost its credibility in regards to news and current affairs. It's Glory Days Are Over. The board needs to be ejected. They obviously don't read their reviews. You'll get the same news from sky these days. Viewers are smarter these days as there is an abundant amount of news online. Good luck you're going to need it ABC a waste of taxpayer money

ABC News app articles are mostly articles linked to current affairs stories from their TV programs. It’s not actual global news at all. Eg 2nd story on todays landing page, “ Daryl Braithwaite steps back from live performances”. Seriously, who gives ashit.

Looking at other reviews I am not alone. The arrogance of the ABC by not responding or taking notice it proves how bad they are. News reporters and journalists going out with an agenda without a care, are no better than the labor Party that the ABC supports. Watching the Barnaby Joice interview on how arrogant the ABC reporter was. Answer the question

Consistent non balanced views using the tax payer dollar.

After seeing Grace Tame on ABC this morning, I no longer will be watching ABC !!!!

ABC NEWS App. An article about a heatwave in India repeated 4 times that there was a heatwave in India before coming to the article itself. In the title, in the photo caption, in the summary and in the first paragraph. All the ABC articles are badly written repetitive no rational structure. An article the other day about lifestyle tips for avoiding dementia had didn’t divulge the tips until the end of the article after paragraphs of waffle. Most ABC articles read like badly put together, school essays by a Year 9 English student. The news App I have set up for my interests and my locality. Often the same article will appear in both options. Its a simple bit of coding to not have any article appear twice. The ABC NEWS is heavily weighted towards Sport. Many people have no interest in sport. The ABC arts coverage is lamentable rarely does an art exhibition get covered. Mostly the selection criteria for the arts is focussed on positive discrimination so articles about art and minority groups at the expense of anything else. So manyvANC reporters deliver their reports on TV slowly pronouncing every syllable and with longer than normal gaps between words as if they are addressing some naughty primary school children. Joe O’Brien looks hand movements look as though he is shaping an imaginary mighty peice of clay on a runaway potters wheel. If you want to keep your hands busy Joe, sign for the deaf. Lastly a section on the ABC News App has a section called Everyones Talking About. This title would be more appropriate in a teen girls’ gossip Mag not the National BroadcasterI hope the newly appointed head of News is gonna shake up and restore. To see what a National broadcaster should look like, look ar the French News in English or the Indian News or the BBC news, all on SBS. For me now the off switch is how I respond to the ABC News on TV. Light on content, often poorly presented. I’ve mentioned Some of the childish antics on The Breakfast Show. There seems to be a race to the bottom going on there.

Way too much repetition on abc these days both radio and t.v
I want to be a listner/ watcher but find myself switching off more n more...sad to see

Its very sad to see the poor state of Australian TV. The only decent stuff they show nowadays is British. Australian knock-offs of various British shows with fifth rate Aussie comedians are embarrassingly bad. Aussie sitcoms also. And then they repeat the same shows all the time so theres nothing to watch most of the time. The only good show lately is Gruen.
What has happened abc?
If you don't have enough money then spend it more wisely. We really do not need more bad knockoffs with mediocre comedians who lack any real wit.

Unrealistic have no integrity anti australian, miss information channel waste of tax payers money. Defund and close.

Absolute repetitive trash.
ABC you're starting to validate Sunrise as a news source

A biased corrupted channel protecting those in power.

ABC website news is just rubbish click bait, never any info in headlines, just click bait, you have to open the story to find out where, which town, when etc, they should be ashamed to work there and take taxpayers money for this slop, shame on you abc employees, shame...

The most bias , one sided, left wing news channel in Australia… once upon a time the best news channel in Australia, unfortunately has deteriorated to the point where it is almost unreadable…very disappointing almost to a point of being a disgrace…

ABC News is just a mouthpiece for the Labor Government and minority groups. What a total waste of public money. They should be defunded.