WILLS & ESTATES
Looking after your loved ones and planning what will happen to your estate in the event of your passing, takes some planning and a skilled and experienced legal team to make it happen.
We can help you with the following:
- Need a Will for the first time or need your Will updated?
- Need a Power of Attorney to handle your affairs back home?
- Health deteriorating and considering options?
- Not sure if your super fund fits your retirement and estate planning?
- Not sure how you distribute funds from your super fund upon your death?
- Need to consider if any trust should be created to safe guard assets in your estate?
- You are an executor of a Will and need help applying for Probate?
- You need help administering a loved one's estate?
- Need to defend a claim that someone has not been adequately taken care of in a Will?
- You feel the you should have received more from a deceased estate or you were left out completely and would like to challenge it?
- You feel the you should have received more from a deceased estate or you were left out completely and would like to challenge it?
- Are you an executor facing estate management challenges?
Wills & Estate Planning
Wills, Powers of Attorney & possibly Advance Health Directives are important documents and need to be drafted and executed correctly to ensure they are valid and your wishes about what should happen with you and your estate are carried out.
A Will can be anything from simple (transfer of property and cash assets) to complex (involving companies, trusts, self-managed super funds). Couples can also have what is referred to as Mutual Wills which is effectively a contract with the surviving partner to distribute the estate in an agreed-upon manner and can’t be changed after their death. These types of Wills are ideal for those with blended families. The more complex Wills might also include establishing a Testamentary Trust under the Will for asset protection and tax benefits. We can take you through the different types of Wills and make sure you have the one that best suits your wishes and situation.
A Power of Attorney is document that allows you to appoint a person or persons to make decisions for your during your lifetime. Those decisions can be personal including health decisions and financial and can be either a General POA or an Enduring POA. The distinction between the two is when they are effective and centers around your capacity to make decisions. For those who own and operate businesses, a Company POA might also be required to ensure the business can continue to operate on your behalf.
An Advance Health Directive allows you to give directions about your future health care and makes your wishes known and give health professionals direction about the treatment you want.
All three documents should be in place as you never know when they will be relied upon. These documents create the foundations of your estate planning.
Whether this is your first time getting these documents completed, or if you already have them in place but need to update them, use our free online questionnaire to get started.
Estate Administration & Application of Probate
The team at Griffiths Parry Lawyers can assist the executors of an estate with obtaining probate (establishing the authenticity or validity of a Will) and ensuring all legal requirements are complied with to meet the intended interests of the beneficiaries. No estate is too simple or too complex for our experienced team to handle. We can administer the estate for you and take the hassle away from Executors of having to close bank accounts, close investment accounts, obtain refunds on insurance and health policies, the sale of shares and property. These assets can be held within Australia or even overseas. We can ensure all assets are collected and accounted for and then distributed to the beneificiaries as per the requirements of the Will.
Trusts & Super Funds
Griffiths Parry Lawyers on the Sunshine Coast can guide you on the issues involving trusts like family discretionary, unit and other types of trusts and both self-managed and industry superannuation funds. How these play a part in asset protection and the administration of your estate is crucial to protecting your assets.
Whilst super fund assets do not form part of your estate, you need to ensure that your super fund assets are distributed to your loved ones. Contact us at Griffiths Parry Lawyers and we can explain the options available to you and ensure that your Super Fund Binding Nomination is valid and implemented correctly.
Deceased Estate Litigation – defending or making a claim against an estate
Executors of an estate not only have to contend with the death of a loved one, but also the added stress of administering the estate and related affairs. The last thing executors want, is to find themselves having to deal with conflict over the contents of a Will.
At the same time, if you feel that you have not been adequately taken care off by the deceased’s Will, raising your issues soon after the Will is made available is not an easy thing to do when emotions are already heightened. We can help you make a claim and demonstrate that inadequate provisions were made for you in the Will.
The death of a loved one is always difficult. If you’re the Executor/s, you’ll have the added stress of managing the deceased’s estate and related affairs. If someone feels they were overlooked or were not sufficiently provided for, you can also find yourself needing to deal with a conflict over the contents of the will.
Our experienced team can defend and resolve any claims brought against an estate as well as make claims for inadequate provisions in a Will. Contact our team today to get things started.
HOW CAN WE HELP?
Take your first step and let us help you.
or simply fill in the form below to submit an online enquiry
We can help you with the following:
- Need a Will for the first time or need your Will updated?
- Need a Power of Attorney to handle your affairs back home?
- Health deteriorating and considering options?
- Not sure if your super fund fits your retirement and estate planning?
- Not sure how you distribute funds from your super fund upon your death?
- Need to consider if any trust should be created to safe guard assets in your estate?
- You are an executor of a Will and need help applying for Probate?
- You need help administering a loved one's estate?
- Need to defend a claim that someone has not been adequately taken care of in a Will?
- You feel the you should have received more from a deceased estate or you were left out completely and would like to challenge it?
- You feel the you should have received more from a deceased estate or you were left out completely and would like to challenge it?
- Are you an executor facing estate management challenges?
Wills & Estate Planning
Wills, Powers of Attorney & possibly Advance Health Directives are important documents and need to be drafted and executed correctly to ensure they are valid and your wishes about what should happen with you and your estate are carried out.
A Will can be anything from simple (transfer of property and cash assets) to complex (involving companies, trusts, self-managed super funds). Couples can also have what is referred to as Mutual Wills which is effectively a contract with the surviving partner to distribute the estate in an agreed-upon manner and can’t be changed after their death. These types of Wills are ideal for those with blended families. The more complex Wills might also include establishing a Testamentary Trust under the Will for asset protection and tax benefits. We can take you through the different types of Wills and make sure you have the one that best suits your wishes and situation.
A Power of Attorney is document that allows you to appoint a person or persons to make decisions for your during your lifetime. Those decisions can be personal including health decisions and financial and can be either a General POA or an Enduring POA. The distinction between the two is when they are effective and centers around your capacity to make decisions. For those who own and operate businesses, a Company POA might also be required to ensure the business can continue to operate on your behalf.
An Advance Health Directive allows you to give directions about your future health care and makes your wishes known and give health professionals direction about the treatment you want.
All three documents should be in place as you never know when they will be relied upon. These documents create the foundations of your estate planning.
Whether this is your first time getting these documents completed, or if you already have them in place but need to update them, use our free online questionnaire to get started.
Estate Administration & Application of Probate
The team at Griffiths Parry Lawyers can assist the executors of an estate with obtaining probate (establishing the authenticity or validity of a Will) and ensuring all legal requirements are complied with to meet the intended interests of the beneficiaries. No estate is too simple or too complex for our experienced team to handle. We can administer the estate for you and take the hassle away from Executors of having to close bank accounts, close investment accounts, obtain refunds on insurance and health policies, the sale of shares and property. These assets can be held within Australia or even overseas. We can ensure all assets are collected and accounted for and then distributed to the beneificiaries as per the requirements of the Will.
Trusts & Super Funds
Griffiths Parry Lawyers on the Sunshine Coast can guide you on the issues involving trusts like family discretionary, unit and other types of trusts and both self-managed and industry superannuation funds. How these play a part in asset protection and the administration of your estate is crucial to protecting your assets.
Whilst super fund assets do not form part of your estate, you need to ensure that your super fund assets are distributed to your loved ones. Contact us at Griffiths Parry Lawyers and we can explain the options available to you and ensure that your Super Fund Binding Nomination is valid and implemented correctly.
Deceased Estate Litigation – defending or making a claim against an estate
Executors of an estate not only have to contend with the death of a loved one, but also the added stress of administering the estate and related affairs. The last thing executors want, is to find themselves having to deal with conflict over the contents of a Will.
At the same time, if you feel that you have not been adequately taken care off by the deceased’s Will, raising your issues soon after the Will is made available is not an easy thing to do when emotions are already heightened. We can help you make a claim and demonstrate that inadequate provisions were made for you in the Will.
The death of a loved one is always difficult. If you’re the Executor/s, you’ll have the added stress of managing the deceased’s estate and related affairs. If someone feels they were overlooked or were not sufficiently provided for, you can also find yourself needing to deal with a conflict over the contents of the will.
Our experienced team can defend and resolve any claims brought against an estate as well as make claims for inadequate provisions in a Will. Contact our team today to get things started.
Helping you put the right plans in place.
Thoughtful legal advice on Wills, Powers of Attorney and Estate matters — now and for the future.
Why choose us for your Wills & Estates matters.
Established in 1974, our lawyers have years of experience providing leading Wills & Estates advice. You’ll get exceptional results in a cost-effective manner.
The caring, professional and determined Griffiths Parry Law team is based in Birtinya (just near the Sunshine Coast University Hospital). We assist locals across Sunshine Coast areas such as Maroochydore, Alexandra Headland, Mooloolaba, Kawana, Buderim, Caloundra, Moffat Beach, Nambour, Woombye, Maleny, Coolum, Peregian, Noosa and surrounds. Beyond the Sunshine Coast, Griffiths Parry Lawyers also regularly provide Wills & Estates legal services to clients in Brisbane, throughout South East Queensland and Australia wide.
If you need legal advice from down-to-earth Sunshine Coast lawyers, talk to the expert team at Griffiths Parry Lawyers today.