Our Wills & Estates services include:

• drafting wills
• estate planning
• handling the estates of people who die without a will - intestate estates
• Testamentary trusts
• applying for a Grant of Probate
• applying for Letters of Administration
• contesting a will - Family Provision Claims
• probate litigation
• Powers of Attorney
• Enduring Guardianships
• Binding Death Nomination

Making a Will & Estate Planning

It does not take long to make or change your Will but it could make all the difference to your family. When your life circumstances change such as getting married, the birth of a child, moving to a new house or the acquisition of some other property it is sensible to make or update your Will.

We have many years of experience in Estate Planning and we can assist you in the preparation of a simple will to the more complex will, testamentary trusts and other important documents often missed in Estate Planning such as a Power of Attorney and Enduring Guardianship or a Binding Death Nomination.

Probate

Probate is the legal process of validating a will, appointing an executor, and distributing the estate according to the wishes of a deceased person.

Where there is a valid will and you have been nominated as the Executor we can assist you to apply to the Supreme Court of NSW for a Grant of Probate. When the Court grants you probate it authorises you to distribute the deceased's estate in accordance with the provisions of that will.

We know that probate matters can be stressful and difficult to negotiate and we can guide you through the steps that must be taken to administer an estate within the terms of the will, and within the relevant laws.

Letters of Administration

If someone close to you has recently passed away without leaving a valid will we can assist you with applying for Letters of Administration to the Supreme Court of NSW. The estate will be distributed according to the laws of intestacy in NSW. We can advise you on this process.

Contesting a Will - Succession Act Claims

If you've been left out of a Will, or feel that have been unfairly treated by the amount of your inheritance you will receive you may be able to make a claim against the estate.

We also offer expertise in estate litigation and Will disputes. We have represented and advised clients involved in lawsuits and appeals in relation to family provision applications, claims against deceased estates and disputes over the validity of wills.

Some of the people who may be entitled to claim include people who had a relationship with the deceased such as:

• wife or husband
• defacto or same sex partner
• former spouse or defacto partner
• child, stepchild or grandchild
• parent of a child of the deceased
• parent, brother or sister
• someone financially dependent on the deceased
• carer of the deceased

You have only 12 months from the date of their death to make a claim. In certain circumstances, we might be able to obtain an extension of the time limit so please contact us to discuss your situation.

We have represented both executors and beneficiaries in estate litigation. For more information use our contact form we will contact you as soon as possible or phone us on 1300 171 898 for a confidential discussion.