The ‘Great Australian Dream’ is well and truly alive with nearly 70 percent of Aussies living in a home they own outright or have mortgaged. With the family home being the largest asset that most of us will ever own, it is important to understand that the way this asset is registered can have implications for what forms part of your estate when you die. “But it is my house, I paid the … [Read more...]
Top 10 Reasons Why You Need a Will
At some point in the future you will die. Death (along with taxes) remains one of the few things in life which you can predict. While this is hardly a revelation it is a truth that too many people ignore, especially when you remind them of the importance of having a Will and estate plan. In fact, the question, “have you got your Wills sorted?” is too often followed by a dismissive shrug and … [Read more...]
“Help! I’m an Executor”
A close friend approached me last week concerned that she had been nominated executor in her grandmother’s Will, she was uncertain exactly as to what this would entail. It is a familiar scenario. Every day executors are nominated in Wills. Usually the nominated person is aware of this, sometimes they are not (in which case they are not alerted to this fact until the estate is enacted). … [Read more...]
Small But Oh So Important: “Certificate of Title”
What is a Duplicate Certificate of Title and why is it important? A Duplicate Certificate of Title is the official document evidencing ownership of real property. The face of the document includes a description of the property, who holds ownership and any liens, encumbrances or easements which may be held over the property. The Duplicate Certificate of Title is identified by a Volume and Folio … [Read more...]
Your Right to Know? Understanding the Role of Suppression Orders in the Salt Creek Investigation
Last week South Australians were horrified by the allegedly vicious attack on two young, female backpackers at Salt Creek in the state’s south. The attack has initiated one of the most restrictive suppression orders granted in recent legal history. Maddalena Romano explains exactly what this means and answers the question, is this appropriate considering the circumstances? What is a suppression … [Read more...]
