The clock is ticking: why your estate plan could be undermined by forgotten loans
If you’ve loaned money to a child, a family trust, or to entities within your personal investment or business structure, you might assume those debts will be honoured, or at least recognised, when you pass away. However, unless steps are taken to formally record and maintain those loan arrangements, your executor may discover too late that the loans are no longer legally enforceable. This article explains how the six-year limitation […]
Transfer property title as surviving joint tenant
Transfer property title as surviving joint tenant We get the title into your sole name, so every bank, insurer and agent deals with you as the owner you already are. You chose joint ownership precisely so this would not be complicated. The house passes to you on your partner’s death, without a court, because that […]
Make a deceased estate claim or Will challenge
Make a deceased estate claim or Will challenge We tell you honestly whether you have a family provision claim, and then we run it. Someone you cared about has died, and the will they left does not reflect what the relationship actually was, what you put into it, or what you now need. The will […]
Post-death testamentary trust for a minor beneficiary
Post-death testamentary trust for a minor beneficiary We set up the trust before the estate is distributed, so a child’s inheritance is still there when it is needed. When a will leaves assets to children, the default position is that they take full and unconditional control at 18. On a significant estate that means a […]
Understand your entitlements under a deceased estate
Understand your entitlements under a deceased estate We give you an independent answer on what you are entitled to, before the time limit decides it for you. When someone dies, the people closest to them often have no idea what they are actually entitled to, and the answer is rarely as simple as reading the […]
Administer a deceased estate
Administer a deceased estate We take executors through the whole administration, so the estate closes properly and nothing follows you afterwards. Someone chose you to finish their affairs, and you can’t ask them what they meant by any of it. That is the part nobody warns you about. The work itself is real enough: debts […]
Defend a deceased estate claim or Will challenge
Defend a deceased estate claim or Will challenge We defend the estate against claims, so the will the deceased actually made is the one that stands. You followed the will. You did what you were asked to do. Now someone is claiming against the estate and you are a respondent in court proceedings, while you […]
Obtain a grant of probate
Obtain a grant of probate We prepare and run the probate application, so the court gives you the authority you were already trusted with. Being named executor is meant to be a mark of trust. Then you try to act on it, and every institution asks the same question before it will talk to you: […]
Worried about legal costs for challenging a Will? A guide for claimants in South Australia
If you’ve been left out of a Will or believe the provision made for you is inadequate, you may be wondering whether you can apply for a greater share of the estate. You may also be worried about what it could cost you to make a claim. Under South Australia’s new Succession Act 2023 (SA) (the Act), people in […]
Rising probate costs: how court fees and legal costs impact estates
Probate filing fees now reach over $17,500 in some states, with rising legal costs adding pressure on executors. Here’s what families and family businesses need to know. The cost of probate is rising When someone passes away, dealing with their estate involves more than just grief and paperwork. Executors must navigate probate – the process of proving a Will […]