An estate plan involves more than signing a Will and leaving it in a safe place. An effective estate plan requires consideration of several matters and ongoing review to ensure it reflects your testamentary wishes and covers unexpected events. In this article, we look at some common misconceptions about Wills and estate planning and dispel… Read More
The Marriage Act 1961 (Cth) defines marriage as ‘the union of two people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life’. As of 9 December 2017, the right for couples to marry is no longer restricted by sex or gender. Same-sex couples are now able to access Australia’s marriage and divorce regime… Read More
In Australia, a person is ‘technically’ free to choose who should benefit from his or her estate. Testamentary freedom is a well-founded principle. This principle however may be subject to community expectations of moral obligations. Consequently, in some circumstances a Court may order that the terms of a Will be varied to satisfy a claim… Read More
Many clients do not recognise the possible benefits (and pitfalls) of Powers Of Attorney. 1 What is a Power of Attorney? A Power of Attorney is a legal document that enables you to give a trusted person (‘the attorney’), authority to make legal and financial decisions on your behalf. You may authorise your attorney to… Read More
Most of us appreciate the importance of making a Will and having an estate plan that sets out how we would like to provide for our loved ones when we die. If, like many Australians, you belong to a blended family, there are additional considerations when planning your estate. Most typical will be ensuring that… Read More