Wills & estates
The cheapest will is the one that works.
A will from the newsagent costs twelve dollars and is fine until it is not. The ones that get fought over are nearly always homemade, and the fight costs the estate far more than the will ever would have.
While you are here
Most people come in for a will and leave having also sorted a power of attorney, which is the document that matters more often and sooner. If you cannot make decisions for a while, someone has to, and without it that becomes a tribunal application.
- Wills, including testamentary trusts where they are warranted
- Enduring power of attorney, financial and personal
- Appointment of medical treatment decision maker
- Advance care directives
When someone has died
We apply for probate, or for letters of administration if there was no will, then deal with the banks, the share registries, the transfers and the distribution. For a straightforward estate this takes a few months, most of which is waiting.
A claim against an estate in Victoria generally has to be brought within six months of probate. If you think you have been left out unfairly, that date matters more than anything else.
Farms
Succession on a working farm is the hardest thing we do, because it is rarely only a legal question. We will not pretend a document fixes a family disagreement, but we can make sure the document says what everyone thinks it says.