Planning for your family’s future after you’re gone is a really important legal task. Nobody likes to think about it too much, but inevitably one day you will have to leave your property, business or farm to someone else, whether by selling up, retiring or leaving for health reasons.
It is very important to have a succession plan in place that makes the transition easy not only for yourself but also for your family or employees and minimizes the chances of the business or farm having to be sold up when you leave
Estate planning goes beyond drafting a will – it includes:
- The assessment of assets
- The assessment of likely taxation
- Advice regarding the possibility of claims against the estate by third parties
- The protection of assets
Estate planning is an active process of re-evaluating the estate when circumstances in life change, such as:
- Newly married couples or those divorcing
- A change to the family’s asset pool
- A change in working conditions such as the buying or selling of a business
- Changes to superannuation, insurance policies or taxation levels
- The establishment of discretionary trusts
A successful plan is made involving all family members as it will take into account not only provisions for your retirement income but also the plans, aptitudes and existing assets of younger generations.
Burke & Mangan Lawyer’s wills and estate planning lawyers can help:
- Advise you in regard to estate and Probate laws
- Write a will that maximizes the inheritance for your family
- Set up family and testamentary trusts
- Advise you in regard to choosing executors and guardians
- Minimise the chance that your will is contested and subject to litigation
- Advise in regard to estate tax (including capital gains) and financial concerns
- Safely store your will and other important legal documents
At the same time as considering your Will, we strongly recommend that you also put in place plans for any future incapacity through the Power of Attorney and Guardianship documents. This will ensure that if you somehow become unable to make decisions about your finances, your medical treatment or living arrangements then the person or persons who you trust to make these decisions can do so unhindered.
At Burke & Mangan Lawyers we understand that dealing with a deceased estate is one of the more difficult challenges in life. From mountains of paperwork to legal jargon and simmering family disputes, they’re the last things you want to deal with when you’re grieving the loss of someone important in your life.
So, let us help you by:
- Interpreting the Will of the deceased in terms of estate laws
- Advising executors and trustees in regard to their duties and rights
- Informing government bodies including Centrelink and Veterans Affairs
- Applying for Probate of the Will in the Supreme Court
- Dealing with intestacy (where there is no Will)
- Applying for Letters of Administration (if the Will is deemed invalid or is absent)
- Identifying estate assets and liabilities
- Obtaining valuations of estate property
- Collecting estate financial assets including superannuation, bank funds, shares, outstanding loans, and insurance payouts
- Selling or transferring estate property including estate auctions
- Paying estate debts including mortgages, funeral costs, and testamentary expenses
- Advising in regard to family and testamentary trusts
- Administering trust funds
- Distributing bequests and inheritances to beneficiaries
- Organising information for estate tax returns
- Family mediation and negotiation
- Contesting wills and defending estate litigation in the Supreme Court
Contact us to find out more or to arrange an appointment with an experienced estate lawyer.
