Estate planning
Estate planning is what you do when a will alone will not hold: a blended family, a business, a beneficiary who should not receive a lump sum, or superannuation that does not follow the will at all. We map what you own, how it is held, and where each piece actually goes.
Fixed fee
from $990
Timeline
Two meetings, sometimes three
What you keep
A one-page summary
Where we sign
One plan, all documents
Fixed fee
Will and attorney documents together
Two meetings, sometimes three
Estate planning is what you do when a will alone will not hold. A second marriage, a family business, a beneficiary going through a divorce, or superannuation that does not follow the will at all: each one needs a decision made now rather than argued later.
We map what you own
How the house is held on the title, who is nominated on the superannuation, what the trust deed actually says. Half the work is finding out what is already in place.
Then we make it one plan
Wills, attorney documents, binding nominations and, where it earns its keep, a testamentary trust that protects a beneficiary from a divorce or a bankruptcy.
What we look at first
How the house is held on title, who is nominated on each superannuation fund, what any trust deed actually says, and whether a life insurance policy pays the estate or a person. Half of estate planning is finding out what is already in place.
What a plan looks like when it is finished
A short written summary, the documents that carry it out, and a schedule of where everything is held. It should be readable by the people who will have to use it, not only by the lawyer who drafted it.
Who this is for
Blended families
Business owners and family trusts
Anyone with a beneficiary who cannot manage a lump sum
People with significant superannuation or life insurance
What the fee includes
An asset and ownership map, written down
Wills with testamentary trusts where they are warranted
Binding superannuation nominations, checked against the fund
A written summary your family can follow
Questions
What people ask before they ring.
If yours is not here, it is a two-minute phone call and we will not put you on a list.
Is a testamentary trust worth it?
It is worth it where a beneficiary is young, vulnerable, in a shaky marriage, or in business. It is not worth it for a straightforward estate passing to a competent adult, and we will say so rather than sell you the structure.
Does this cover my business?
It covers what your will can control. Shareholder agreements, buy–sell arrangements and company constitutions sit alongside it, and we read them so the two do not contradict each other.
How often should it be reviewed?
Every three years, and immediately after a death, a marriage, a separation, a birth, or a sale. The review is free for existing clients; the update is quoted before we start.
