Wills and Estate Planning Lawyers

Wills and Estate Planning Lawyers
Parramatta, Sydney & NSW

Our team of estate planning lawyers assist with the following services in Parramatta and across Sydney:

Probate applications
Letters of Administration applications
Deceased Estate Administration
Will drafting
Estate planning
Testamentary Trusts
Enduring Powers of Attorney
Enduring Guardianship
Advanced Healthcare Directives
Contesting a Will
Defending a Family Provision Claim
Estate disputes

Our team is also highly experienced in assisting the unique needs of business owners with their Wills and estate planning, taking into account the circumstances that can otherwise negatively impact on their business interests.

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT PROBATE & LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION

For information specifically about Estate Disputes

ESTATE PLANNING LAWYERS PARRAMATTA, SYDNEY & NSW

MORE THAN JUST A WILL

This involves you deciding what you want to happen to your assets when you die and who you want to make decisions for you when you lose capacity to make those decisions for yourself.

This can be difficult to grapple with so it is important that you work with an estate planning lawyer who can advise you how to structure your estate plan with the common types of disputes that can arise firmly in mind.

Our team can help you:

Ensure that your Estate goes to the people you nominate
Protect your beneficiaries from unnecessary personal tax
Obtain justice in any will or estate dispute proceedings
Plan to ensure that your trusted loved ones can make decisions about your assets, where you live and what medical treatment you receive

ESTATE PLANNING LAWYERS PARRAMATTA, SYDNEY & NSW

WILLS & ESTATE PLANNING SERVICES

Engaging experienced wills and estate planning lawyers to draft your Will is the most effective way to ensure your wishes can be followed. Our team will:

Provide you with proper advice and guidance on what you should include in your Will (often we make people aware of what they had not considered);
Ensure that your Will is legally enforceable;
Customise the Will to your circumstances and your wishes;
Determine whether you require any additional elements to ensure your intentions are achievable; and
Limit the chance of your Will being challenged by friends, family and acquaintances upon your death.

Here are some of the documents and services we offer, including guidance on fees:

Legal Service	Purpose	Benefit of Estate Planning Legal Advice	Fees
Will	A legal document which allows a person to decide who receives their assets upon their death.	Without a correctly drafted Will, you cannot be certain who will receive your property. If a will is not sufficient, we will advise you about additional measures to ensure your beneficiaries receive what you intended for them, upon your death.	Standard Will Single $500 + GST Standard Will Couple $800 + GST Complex bespoke Wills are charged at a rate of $360 per hour + GST An estimate of our fees will be provided before you agree to use us.
Power of Attorney/Enduring Power of Attorney	A document which appoints one or more people you trust to legally handle your financial decisions when you are unable to.	Eliminate uncertainty and reduce stress on family/friends about decision making on your behalf in relation to your finances and property.	Single $500 + GST Couple $800 + GST
Enduring Guardianship	A document which appoints one or more people you trust to make decisions for you in relation to your medical, health and lifestyle decisions, when you are unable to.	Eliminate uncertainty and reduce stress on family/friends about decision making on your behalf in relation to healthcare and lifestyle.	Single $500 + GST Couple $800 + GST
Testamentary Trusts	Legal structures designed to hold assets on behalf of beneficiaries. An asset protection mechanism.	Minimise the risk of personal tax planning implications for your beneficiaries.	Standard $800 + GST Complex charged at the hourly rate of $360/hr + GST
Advanced Healthcare Directive	A document which specifically tells medical practitioners what treatment you are prepared to receive and refuse.	Ensures your family and medical practitioners know what to do if you suffer a debilitating health condition. Without this document in place, doctors will be able to treat you as they see fit.	No standard fee applies. Charged at the hourly rate of $360/hr + GST

We do not charge for photocopying, faxing, the cost of a telephone call and all those other costs that some law firms charge.

For related services, we have a fixed hourly rate of $360 per hour + GST.

We believe in being honest and open about the fees that we charge. Where possible and the outcome can be predicted with a degree of certainty, we will fix our costs. If we cannot, we will provide you with a realistic estimate of the fees at our initial conference.

While there are plenty of do-it-yourself Will kits online, we recommend that you do not use one to draft your own Will. Using a DIY kit opens you up to the risk of missing something that could render your Will unenforceable, enabling a Family Provisions claim, ultimately changing the outcome of your wishes and reducing the overall estate pool, due to the cost of legal fees to challenge the claim.

We understand that it can be difficult to make a decision about selecting the right people to help you which is why we would like to make it a bit easier for you. If you decide to work with us after your initial appointment, we will credit the cost of the appointment towards your fees, essentially making your initial consultation free.

This is our way of demonstrating our commitment to providing excellent service. We also offer fixed fees for some services as well as convenient payment options. Ask us for more information about these options in your first meeting. We look forward to assisting you.

ESTATE PLANNING LAWYERS PARRAMATTA, SYDNEY & NSW

MINIMISE THE RISK OF A WILL DISPUTE OR ESTATE DISPUTE

Even though you may have prepared a Will setting out your wishes, some eligible people like children, former spouses, dependants or those that have a close personal relationship with you may still be eligible to make a claim against your estate when you pass away, despite your clearly expressed wishes.

In NSW, there is a law – the Succession Amendment (Family Provision) Act 2008 – that allows certain people to make an application to make a claim on your estate. There are ways in which to stop this from occurring, that our team will identify for you as part of the estate planning process.

For many people, the thought that their assets will go to people they do not want it to is horrifying.

The good news is that our team assists clients with these measures, to minimise the risk of estates being contested.

Leading our Wills and Estate Planning team is Wadia Mansour, who has been with us for over 20 years and holds a higher degree of Master of Laws in Wills & Estates.

Wadia and our team help you plan for the future and give you the peace of mind of knowing that your loved ones will get what you intended. Secure a confidential chat with one of our experienced estate planning lawyers to learn more about how we can assist you.

WILLS & ESTATE PLANNING LAWYERS PARRAMATTA, SYDNEY & NSW

Estate planning is essential to give you peace of mind, knowing that when you pass away, your wishes will be carried out.

Get your Will and estate planning in order. Our team works with clients across the Sydney area. Stop delaying this important decision and take the first important step and make an enquiry today.

ESTATE DISPUTES

We provide services to both sides of estate disputes.

If you believe you have been unfairly overlooked in a Will, you may be eligible to make a family provision claim. To know whether that is possible, reach out to our team to organise a confidential appointment to discuss your circumstances.

ESTATE PLANNING LAWYERS PARRAMATTA, SYDNEY & NSW

EXECUTORS FACING AN ESTATE DISPUTE

If you are an Executor and facing any of the following disputes, our team can assist.

Disputes about validity of a Will
Disputes about testamentary capacity of the Willmaker
Allegations of fraudulent activity or undue influence in relation to the Will
A family provision claim has been made
Disputes between executors or beneficiaries

Seeking early legal advice is essential in these circumstances. To arrange a confidential discussion, call to make an appointment or book in a time via the link below.