If I had a dollar for every time someone said this to me I could retire right now. You see everyone thinks that their circumstances are straightforward and it follows then that they believe that their Estate needs will be easily satisfied with either a “cheap Will”, a blank template where you enter names and addresses; or, even worse, a DIY Will Kit. Truth is, few Wills actually are … [Read more...]
Probate & The Role of Executor
“My Great Aunt Edna just died and it seems she has listed me as her sole executor. I’m feeling quite overwhelmed and don’t know where to start.” When a family member or close friend dies it is normal to feel a whole range of feelings ranging from grief to confusion. The news that you have been named as an executor may come as a surprise (although hopefully not), and will certainly heighten … [Read more...]
Top Excuses For Not Having a Will
When you are dead, you are dead. Nothing can be done from the grave to counteract what you should have planned for when you were alive. In spite of this, too many of our clients leave it until they are in their twilight years before making the appointment to have their first Will drafted. These are the lucky few in an all too common scenario of people who have delayed drafting a Will. The … [Read more...]
How to find an awesome Estate Lawyer (and what can happen if you don’t)
We see them a lot; Lawyers that is, advertising their cut-price Wills on brightly painted sandwich boards plonked on the footpaths of our suburban streets. There is an old saying that goes something like, ‘if something sounds too good to be true then it probably is.’ Where Wills are concerned you really do get what you pay for. In fact, the less you pay the more likely it is that you will be … [Read more...]
How my Dog Made me Think About Wills and Funeral Arrangements
Our beloved Maltese terrier, Cooper, died a month ago. Despite the fact that he was an old man of 14 years, it was still a fairly traumatic experience for the whole family. Having made the difficult decision to euthanize him, we were next asked, “What would you like to do with his remains?” Not having experienced, discussed or even considered this before, we had little idea of the options … [Read more...]
