Who is allowed copies of a Will?
There is this long held belief by many that when someone dies there is to be a ‘reading of the Will’. However, in real terms, given the electronic world we…
Who could make a claim on my estate?
What is a claim? Generally, a ‘claim’ in an estate refers to what is called a ‘family provision application’. This is an application to the Court made by a certain…
Estate planning and dispute considerations for the LGBTIQA+ community
Taking place from 17 February to 5 March 2023, this year Sydney is the host city for WorldPride and will celebrate Australia's diverse LGBTIQA+ community. ‘LGBTIQA+’ is an evolving acronym that…
Update your estate plan before you lose capacity
The question of mental capacity is an important consideration when someone is making or updating their Will or Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA). We often hear people arguing over their…
How to deal with shares of a deceased person
One of tasks of an executor during the course of administrating someone’s estate, is identifying and keeping a record of all the deceased’s assets and liabilities. During this step, the executor…
Considering the risk of elder abuse in your estate plan
On 15 June each year, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) highlights one of the worst manifestations of ageism and inequality in our society – elder abuse. Elderly people are…
Death Benefit Tax – Will it apply to your beneficiaries or estate?
When we meet with clients to review their estate and succession plan, we always ask the client to provide us with a summary of the following: their assets and liabilities;their…
Can a step-child contest their step-parent’s Will?
We sometimes see issues arise in blended families, where someone chooses to leave the entire or majority of their estate to their new spouse or biological children – to the…
Why it’s critical to ensure you know where your original Will is
After someone passes, generally the first thing loved ones do is search for the Will. If you can’t locate the original Will, it is not the end of the world. However,…
Former de facto partners – impacts on your Will
Many people assume that just because you are not married to your partner, there are no impacts to your Will, should you separate in the future. Unfortunately, this assumption is…
New Year, New Estate Plan
As we start a new year, it is important to remember that any change in life circumstances may impact on your estate plan. Engaged If you’ve recently been engaged, it…
Letters of Administration on Intestacy – Order of Priority
We often receive enquires from people asking if they are entitled to take control of a deceased’s estate when the deceased did not leave a Will. When someone dies without…