Start here
Estate planning is easier to approach when you understand the basics. These resources are written for South Australians who want clear, plain-language information before they pick up the phone, or simply want to understand more about how the law applies to their situation.
They are not a substitute for legal advice. Every person’s circumstances are different, and the right outcome for you depends on details that no article or guide can anticipate. What these resources can do is give you a foundation, so that when you do speak with our team, you arrive informed and ready.
Articles
Our team has published 190 articles covering estate planning, wills, probate, inheritance claims, powers of attorney, superannuation, and succession law in South Australia. They range from straightforward explanations of common questions to detailed discussions of specific legal scenarios.
Browse by topic or search for the question that is on your mind. If you cannot find what you are looking for, or if reading has raised more questions than it has answered, our team is ready to talk.
Information sheets
Our team has produced six plain-language information sheets covering the areas of estate planning that matter most. Each one is written to be read by a person, not a lawyer.
Estate Planning: The Will
What a Will covers, who can make one, what happens without one, and when to review.
Enduring Power of Attorney (Financial)
Why every adult needs one, who you can appoint, and what happens if you do not have one in place.
Advance Care Directives
How to put your chosen people in control of your medical and personal care decisions if you lose capacity.
Superannuation & Death Benefits
Why your Will does not cover your superannuation, and how to make sure your largest asset goes where you intend.
Understanding Testamentary Trust Wills
How a testamentary trust Will can protect an inheritance from divorce, bankruptcy, and unnecessary tax.
Executors’ Duties in a Deceased Estate
What being named as an executor actually requires, and where the obligations and risks lie.
ACT BEFORE 1 JULY TO SAVE YOUR SUPER’S LIFE INSURANCE
If you’ve got multiple super accounts, alarm bells should be ringing. Not because you’re missing out on the compound interest of a consolidated nest egg, but because your super funds could soon rip an important safety net from under you. From 1 July 2019, your super fund has a green light to cancel insurance policies […]
CAN A LAWYER REFUSE INSTRUCTION ON A WILL?
As a Wills and Estate Lawyer, I thought I’d heard it all. Perhaps the craziest story – until now – was of a man who died in the opal mining town of Andamooka in the 1980s. His dying wish was for the surviving members of his social club to each drink a bottle of whisky, […]
Any fool with a pen …
If you were a kid in the 80s and 90s, there’s a harsh lesson in getting your estate in order in the untimely passing of cinema legend, John Singleton. Singleton is probably best known for his gritty coming-of-age drama, “Boyz n The Hood”. The movie tracks the story of Tre Styles, a talented young black […]
TRUST ISSUES – OLDER AUSTRALIANS AND THEIR WILLS
If you’re an older Australian who hasn’t reviewed their estate plan in a while, you need to read this. As a specialist Wills and Estates lawyer, I get to meet people from all walks of life. Some of my clients are barely out of school, others lived through WWII. But it’s attitude, not age that […]
“EMOTIONAL WILLS” COULD CAUSE MORE PAIN THAN GAIN.
Legal Wills are boring documents. Make no mistake, as Wills and Estate Lawyers we love our work, but Wills aren’t exactly page turners, if you know what I mean. That’s because legal Wills serve a very clear purpose – to take your testamentary wishes (what should happen to your assets when you die) and translate […]
FACEBOOK RELATIONSHIPS AND YOUR WILL – IT’S COMPLICATED
Most of us still think that social media is a bit of fun. It’s a place where we might express parts of our personality we normally keep hidden or engage in arguments we’d never have otherwise with total strangers. After all, what’s the harm, it’s not like it’s the real world? Trouble is, the courts […]
TO PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF OUR COURTS, WE MUST KEEP THE CAMERAS OUT.
The trial, conviction and sentencing of Cardinal George Pell is a tragedy. It’s a tragedy for the victims who fought for decades to be heard. A tragedy for those who didn’t live to see justice. A tragedy for those in the Church whose work and faith carrying out the true teachings of Jesus has been […]
WILL FORGERY? IT CAN HAPPEN
(two minute, easy read) It’s hard to believe that in 2019 people are still trying to forge legal Wills, but a remarkable case in the UK has reinforced the need to have your Will drafted – and stored – by a qualified legal professional. The criminal law case, out of Gloucestershire, involves a married couple […]
MAKE PLANS NOW TO WEATHER THE PROPERTY STORM.
There’s good and bad news for property investors and first home buyers, right now. First, to property investors. For more than 20 years, Australians have been building wealth on a dream run of real estate growth. Figures released over the last twelve months show that dream could be over, with property prices sliding as Australia’s […]
Ready to talk
Reading is a good start. A conversation is better. Our team will give you a clear picture of your own situation, not a general answer.
Book a conversation with our team. No obligation. No pressure. Just a clear picture of where you stand and what needs to change.