Pass on your wealth

When a parent dies and leaves everything to their spouse, many children choose not to contest the Will. Out of respect for their parent’s wishes, the grief involved, and the complexities of family life, they allow their step-parent to inherit everything.  But years...

As a professional adviser, you may have been instructed to manage personal wealth matters for clients in a way that benefits not only your client but also their families.  Your client, like Mary, may have routinely provided regular financial support to their family – adult children, grandchildren, spouses, or even elderly parents. This support can be informal but deeply entrenched, often continuing for years. 

But what happens when your client loses capacity, and their Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) takes effect? 

If you’ve made a Will or you’re responsible for administering someone else’s estate, you might be concerned about the possibility of a challenge. Will a disgruntled family member make a claim? Could it result in lengthy court proceedings or large legal bills?

Learn about Trust Succession and its crucial role in managing family wealth. Ensure your assets are properly protected and passed on.

Understand the Super Proceeds Trust and how it ensures superannuation death benefits are distributed tax-efficiently.

Discover key aspects of superannuation and how to ensure your Binding Death Benefit Nomination is valid and effective.

Discover the implications of double gifting in Wills. Learn how intentional clarity can avoid inheritance conflicts.

Who you appoint as the executors of your Will is an important decision. After all, these are the people responsible for carrying out your wishes after you pass away. However, you may wonder whether your executors should be paid or receive a gift in recognition of their efforts in administering your estate. 

Imagine this: You’ve carefully made your Will, making sure your loved ones will be taken care of when you’re gone. You’ve left a generous gift to your son, Jake. But then, something unexpected happens—Jake passes away before you do.

With the coming of a new year come new ideas, plans and goals. Sometimes these may come about because of a change in circumstances and needs. In other cases, these may be a necessary undertaking due to a change in law, regulation or requirements. Here are some legal issues that we think will be hot issues in 2025 and our tips to help you navigate them. 

Does your Will need an update following the changes to the Succession Act 2023 (South Australia) commenced operation in South Australia on 1 January 2025?

Christmas isn’t always a time of joy for families.  Sometimes, along with all the dishes, you are left with a family fallout that takes you back to the proverbial drawing board where estate planning is concerned.  Here's a look at how a difficult Christmas experience...

Christmas is a time for joy, family and reflection. But amidst the festivities, it’s also an excellent opportunity to consider your estate planning.  While it might seem unusual to bring up estate planning during the holidays, Christmas presents a rare chance to start these important conversations. 

Discretionary or family trusts are often used by Australian family business owners seeking to separate business risk from their personal wealth.  When the controller of the trust dies, the assets in the trust are not dealt with as part of their Will.  What happens to...