Wills & Estates
Can I sign my Will electronically?
Creating a will is a crucial step in ensuring your assets are distributed according to your wishes after your death. With the increasing digitization of legal documents, many Australians wonder if they can sign their will electronically. However, under Australian law,...
Including pets in your Will
For many Australians, pets are cherished members of the family. Ensuring their well-being in the event of your passing is a vital concern. Including pets in your will is a thoughtful way to guarantee they are cared for according to your wishes. This article explores...
Importance of Estate Planning
In Australia, many people tend to postpone the thought of preparing a will. It's a common misconception that wills are only for the elderly or the wealthy. However, regardless of age or financial status, having a will is crucial for every Australian. In this article,...
Ambulance Cover
What is Ambulance Cover In an emergency, calling 000 and the resulting trip to the hospital is traumatic enough, but imagine receiving a bill afterwards. This is where ambulance cover comes into play, often covering expenses like hospital transport and being treated...
Organ Donor
Donation is the giving of an organ and tissue to help someone that needs a transplant. Transplants can save or transform the life of a person. One organ and tissue donor can help transform the lives of more than 10 people. This relies on donors and their families...
Superannuation Binding Death Nomination
Superannuation is not an estate asset; on death, it does not automatically flow to the deceased's estate. The trustee of the super fund will generally pay a death benefit in accordance with the governing rules of the fund and relevant law. A binding death benefit...
Digital Assets
How to make sure your digital property ends up in the right hands. Make A List Of All Your Digital Assets And How To Access Each One What digital assets do you own? Make a list of your digital assets, including everything from hardware to social media accounts to...
Cryptocurrency
It’s important to address what you’re going to do with all your assets including cryptocurrency in your Will to avoid serious issues such as beneficiaries not being able to access what you’ve left them. The most important consideration when leaving Bitcoin or another...
Can I include a charity as a Beneficiary in a Will?
While loved ones should always be your first consideration, have you ever thought about the legacy that you could leave behind by including a charity as a beneficiary in your Will? Around 25% of Australians say they would like to include a charity but it’s often not...
What is a Guardian?
A guardian is an individual to whom a judge or a will gives the legal responsibility to care for a child or an adult who does not have the capacity for self-care. The appointed individual is often responsible for both the care of the ward (the child or incapable...
If you are listed as an Executor, do you need to take up the responsibility?
A nominated person does not have to accept the appointment as executor. A nominated person can, before applying for a Grant of Probate, appoint the State Trustee to act in their stead, or simply sign a renunciation. However, once a person has undertaken any aspect of...
What if no executor is named in the Will?
If Will-maker failed to appoint an executor, usually the court needs to appoint someone to administer the estate. A person appointed by the court is called an administrator (of a Will). Often this is the beneficiary with the largest portion of the estate. An...
Why are Wills important?
Just like going to the dentist or doing taxes, many of us put off writing our Will because it’s something we don’t really want to think about. But if you aren’t specific in how you would like your estate to be distributed after you die, if something were to happen to...
Do young people need a Will?
Don’t leave anything to chance Remember when your parents used to say that you were growing up too fast? And you thought, it’s not fast enough! The thing about growing up is that before you know it, you get swamped with mortgages, insurances, paying taxes,...
Who needs a Will?
A Will is one of the single most important documents a person can have; yet, so many of us put off dealing with it for far too long. Many Australian’s assume that they’re “too young” to need a Will. Some people believe that they don’t own enough assets or have a big...
What is a beneficiary?
A beneficiary is a person who receives all or part of the distribution from the deceased estate. There are two types of beneficiaries that are included in Wills. It’s important to understand the difference so that you can think deeply about how you’d like to divide...
What is an executor?
An executor is a person (or sometimes more than one person) named in a Will to carry out the wishes of the Will-maker after their death. Often solicitors or specialist trustee companies are named as executors. The most critical activity undertaken by the appointed...
What is a Will?
A will is a legal document that spells out your wishes regarding the care of your children, pets as well as the distribution of your assets after your death. Put simply, a Will is a legally prepared and bound document that states your intentions for the distribution...