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Gifting To Charities In Your Will

July 4, 2023

It is quite common for individuals to gift an amount from their estate, or even a percentage of their estate to a charity of their choice. When including a charity as a beneficiary in your Will, it is very important to get the wording right to ensure the gift is successful on your death. When … Read more

Top 5 reasons your Legal Will Kit

might cause problems

April 21, 2023

Let’s face it – most of us are time poor, and most of us are reluctant to spend extra money where it seems like there is a less expensive alternative. Preparing your own Will from a Will Kit seems to address both of these – easy to do at home, and a lot less money … Read more

Duties of an Executor

February 21, 2023

The Executor of your Will is the person appointed by you who becomes responsible for carrying out the terms of your Will and your wishes. Choosing who to appoint as your Executor is not an easy task. The duties of an Executor can be time-consuming and at times confusing. This is especially true for family … Read more

Conveyancing for Buying a Property

February 6, 2023

Buying a property is an exciting journey and we are here to guide you through the process and make it as blissful as possible. So, where do you start. First things first, you need to contact a broker or bank to get finance pre-approval. In today’s financial market pre-approval can not only help secure a … Read more

What is a Discretionary Testamentary Trust (DTT)?

January 31, 2023

In essence, a DTT is a structure that can be put in your Will that can save your beneficiaries from paying unnecessary tax, and may offer other protections to your beneficiaries as well. Under a Will with no DTT, everything passes directly to your beneficiary – let’s say your spouse. In simplistic terms, your spouse … Read more

Foreign Beneficiaries and the FIRB

December 2, 2022

There used to be an exemption for property acquired under a Will. That changed in January 2021 when that exemption was removed. A beneficiary of Australian property under a Will who is not ordinarily resident in Australia (which includes both foreign citizens and Australian citizens residing overseas) is now required to obtain approval from the … Read more

Informal Wills

July 19, 2022

In order to make a valid Will, there are two basic requirements: The Will must be in writing. The Will must be signed in front of two witnesses. The Wills Act 1997 sets out further obligations on how to comply with the above requirements which can be quite technical. There are ways to prove a … Read more

Transfer of Property on Death

Transfer of Property on Death

May 30, 2022

Ever wonder what happens to your property when you die? Well, it all depends on how the property was owned during your lifetime. There are three main ownership types, sole ownership, joint proprietors or tenants-in-common. Sole Ownership If you own property in just your name, upon your death this property will pass according to your … Read more

What happens after Probate?

May 30, 2022

Once it has been determined that a Grant of Representation is required and it has been obtained, it is now time to deal with the assets of the estate. The first step is for the executors to decide what to do with each asset. Any assets that have been specifically gifted to a beneficiary will … Read more

What is Probate?

May 20, 2022

Simply put, Probate is a court issued document that confirms the Will of the deceased is valid and validates the appointment of the person nominated as Executor in the Will. The Executor will need to obtain a Grant of Probate before they can administer and distribute the estate. The official term for Probate is a … Read more