Estate Planning & Wills – FREE initial consultation
Not having a “valid” will could cost your estate tens of thousands of dollars. Whether the value of your assets is large or small, it is vital that you have a valid will in place. Our Estate Planning & Wills service includes a FREE initial consultation to establish the cost of drawing up your will. Simple wills, such as between husband and wife, start from as little as $250.
Whether the value of your assets is large or small, it is vital that you have a valid will in place that accurately reflects your wishes. If not, your estate is at the mercy of the laws of intestacy. In some cases, the whole estate will go to the government.
The rules on wills and tax consequences are highly technical. All too often, people thought they were saving money by using a "will kit", only to cost their estate tens of thousands of dollars when drafting errors cause the will to end up in Court. Also, using a trustee company to provide a “free will” means that your estate will be charged a hefty commission in trustee’s fees.
Our Estate Planning & Wills service includes a FREE initial consultation to establish the cost of drawing up a will. Simple wills, such as between husband and wife, start from as little as $250 plus GST.
Even with simple wills, it is important to ensure that the will reflects your wishes, and that all possibilities have been covered. AFS’s appointed solicitors ensure that your will is thorough and protected from attack.
For larger estates, our solicitors have the legal and commercial expertise to work with you for estate planning, so as to minimise any tax or other liabilities for your estate and beneficiaries, and to protect your assets and the assets of your self managed superannuation fund.
Very recent amendments to the Succession Act allow wills to be attacked in Court. Our lawyers are well versed in such laws and the best way to protect your estate from their effects.
Sometimes it is best to leave your assets to trusts controlled by your remaining family members, rather than to leave assets to them directly. These trusts are known as "testamentary trusts". In this way, the beneficiaries receive control over a trust, but do not receive assets directly. So long as the assets remain in testamentary trusts, they are protected from claims by the beneficiary's creditors or spouse. Testamentary trusts also have tax advantages.
Our solicitors can give practical, accurate, easy to understand advice, to guide you to an effective will, giving maximum benefits and protection to your loved ones.