SUPERCentral announced it is launching a first-to-market estate planning tool, Ask.Will™
wills
Establishing a pet clause in a Will
I recently helped a client complete a Will before she passed away from cancer, it was quite sudden. This client had no family in Australia however she did have a special companion, a cat named Millie, for whom she wanted to ensure a comfortable life after she passed away.
When inheriting from friends not family
It’s not often that a person gets the chance to inherit the estate of someone who is not a member of their family. But it does happen and has its own particular issues.
An estate plan that stands the test of time
If you are a person who has achieved a stage of financial independence, it is vital that you have an effective Estate Plan to protect you and your family.
Can you revoke a will with a file note?
Where the proper formalities for revoking a Will are not followed, the court can consider whether there has been an informal revocation of a testator’s Will.
Can a video will be admitted to probate?
Donna is a widow and is 85 years old. Due to her deteriorating health, she is unable to attend her solicitor’s office to make a formal Will. So she decides to record a statement on DVD, stating that she wants to give a special legacy in favour of her two daughters with the help of […]
Inheriting a property with a mortgage
You’ve inherited a property, but is the inherited property liable to repay the remaining mortgage debt? Your debts don’t die with you. They survive you and have to be paid from your estate. In the recent case of Winn v Harding, the New South Wales Supreme Court was asked to assess whether the gifted property […]
Smart estate planning must include alternatives to the Will
Using an Investment Bond, financial advisers can put in place arrangements that are not only separate from their client’s Will, but can facilitate the Bond’s proceeds passing to intended beneficiaries well after (e.g. many years) the date of the investor’s death. A Bond can be structured to achieve intergenerational wealth transfers. This can be achieved […]