Wills
A will does three things: it names the person who will administer your estate, it says who receives what, and it records who should look after any children. Everything else in it exists to make those three things work when something unexpected happens first.
Fixed fee
from $440
Timeline
Two meetings, about a fortnight
What you keep
Certified copies
Where we sign
Signed here, or at your table
Fixed fee
One person, straightforward estate
Two meetings, about a fortnight
Most wills are one sentence and the machinery that protects it. The sentence names who receives what; the machinery decides what happens if a beneficiary dies first, if a child is still young, or if the estate is worth more than anyone expected.
What we ask you
Who administers it, who receives it, and who looks after any children. If you have a blended family, a business, or a beneficiary who should not receive a lump sum, we will say so at the first conversation rather than at the end.
When a will is not enough on its own
If you own a business, hold property with someone other than your spouse, or want to leave something to a beneficiary who is bankrupt, going through a divorce, or unable to manage money, the will needs structure around it. We will tell you that at the first conversation, not after you have paid for the simple version.
Signing it properly
A will has to be signed in front of two witnesses who are not beneficiaries. We witness it here, or at your kitchen table, and the signed original goes into our safe the same day.
What it costs to get wrong
The two most expensive mistakes we see are a will signed without proper witnessing, which can be set aside entirely, and a gift described so loosely that two beneficiaries each believe it was meant for them. Both are fixed at the drafting stage for nothing; both cost tens of thousands to argue about afterwards.
Where yours is kept
The signed original goes into the firm’s safe and is catalogued the same day. You leave with certified copies for your executor and, if you want them, a scanned set by email. Retrieval takes one business day and costs nothing.
Who this is for
Anyone with children under eighteen
Couples who own a home together
Anyone who has separated but not divorced
People whose last will predates a marriage or a birth
What the fee includes
A will drafted in plain English, read back to you before signing
Executor and guardian appointments, with substitutes
Witnessing by two people who are not beneficiaries
Storage of the signed original, and certified copies for you
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.
Do I need a lawyer, or is a kit enough?
A kit is fine for a very simple estate and a very simple family. It is not fine if you own a business, have been married twice, want to protect a beneficiary, or hold property with someone other than your spouse. Most of the wills we fix were kits.
What happens to my superannuation?
Usually nothing your will says. Superannuation follows the nomination held by the fund, so we check it and, where it should be paid to the estate, we make the nomination say so.
Can I change it later?
Yes, as often as you like. Small changes are a codicil and cost less than a new will; anything structural is better redrafted so nobody has to read two documents together.
