Estate Planning
You are all very skilled and I am grateful for the ongoing professional advice you are providing me.
Estate Planning
Estate Planning
While a Will provides directions for where and how the deceased person’s assets will be distributed, you should also consider the benefits of Estate Planning to include assets which may not be in your personal name such as a family trust or superannuation.
Putting in place a strategic plan that is tailored for your specific circumstances is a way to provide further certainty. Estate Planning ensures that any assets that might be held outside your personal name are dealt with according to your wishes or at least taken into account in the distribution of your entire estate.
We also specialise in Testamentary Trusts, which can provide flexibility for beneficiaries and reduce the tax and provide some protection for their inheritance. And if you have a vulnerable family member, we can advise the best ways to make provision for them.
Probate and Estate Administration
When a person dies and leaves assets, the Supreme Court must authorise the executors or administrator to deal with the assets and liabilities of the estate. The executor or next of kin will need to apply for a grant of probate or administration to deal with the estate left behind unless the assets are jointly owned.
Most of the time, this is a straightforward process which we handle every day.
Estate Litigation
Sometimes, Estates are subject to disputes, either because there is doubt about the validity of the Will or someone feels that the Will does not provide adequately for them. We can either defend a Will in these circumstances on behalf of the executor or act for a claimant on an estate.
If you’d like to know more about any of these matters, please call us on (03) 9804 0035 for an obligation free discussion.
Start your Will and Estate Plan Online
Updating your Estate Planning is now easier and more affordable. Our online system, Settify will provide you with helpful information, and collect the information that our lawyers will use to prepare your documents. This is the fastest and easiest way to to ensure your wishes are properly, and legally, recorded.