Wills & Estates

Wills &
Estates

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Pippa Colman Family Law helps families on the Sunshine Coast, in Townsville, and throughout Queensland with their Wills and estate planning to ensure your wishes are legally documented.

We advise our clients on four crucial documents that everyone should have in place and regularly update:

  • Binding Death Benefits Nomination: This requires the trustee of your super fund to pay any benefit due at the time of your death to a spouse, a dependant, or your legal personal representative (the trustee or administrator of your estate).

  • Will: This appoints your executors and provides for the division of your estate after your death.

  • Power of Attorney: This may be general, for example, for your company, or an Enduring Power of Attorney so that if you lose capacity to make decisions, someone you trust can make decisions on your behalf.

  • Advance Health Directive: This sets out your wishes about your medical care if you are unable to communicate those wishes yourself.

We can also give you advice on:

    • Trust Formation: Establishing various types of trusts (e.g., living trusts, revocable and irrevocable trusts) to manage and protect assets during the client’s lifetime and after death.

    • Tax Planning: Developing strategies in collaboration with accountants and/or financial planners as may be necessary to minimise estate and inheritance taxes, ensuring that more of the estate’s value is preserved for beneficiaries.

    • Healthcare Directives: Preparing documents such as living wills and healthcare proxies to outline the client’s medical care preferences and designate decision-makers if they become incapacitated.

    • Modification of current arrangements: Helping clients modify existing arrangements due to changes in circumstances such as relocation, changes in the child's needs, or parental capabilities.

    • Recovery Applications: assisting with urgent Applications for recovery of children who may have been withheld.  This includes Applications where there are risks involving the removal of children internationally and where children may need to be placed on a Watch List. 

    • Third party Applications: assisting significant persons in a child’s life in spending time with a child, such as a grandparent, long term step-parent and other relevant persons. 

    • Probate Process: Assisting with the probate process, where a will is validated by the court, and the executor administers the estate according to the will’s terms.

    • Estate Administration: Guiding executors and administrators through the process of settling the estate, including paying debts, filing taxes, and distributing assets to beneficiaries.

    • Enforcement: Taking legal action to enforce child support orders when a parent fails to comply with payment obligations.

    • Modification: Assisting in the modification of child support assessments/agreements if there are significant changes in either parent's financial situation or the needs of the child.

    • Binding Child Support Agreements: assisting with an assessment of whether a Binding Child Support Agreement may be suitable for a client.  Binding Child Support Agreements can include provisions surrounding the payment of (or requirement of no payment of) periodic child support, schooling fees, costs of extracurricular activities, medical expenses and so on. 

    • Will Contests: Representing clients in disputes over the validity of a will, including allegations of undue influence, fraud, or lack of testamentary capacity.

    • Trust Litigation: Handling disputes related to the management or distribution of trust assets.

    • Beneficiary Disputes: Resolving conflicts among beneficiaries over the interpretation or execution of a will or trust.

  • Our fees for preparing these documents are structured as follows:

    • Simple Will: $660*

    • Complex Will is based on additional work and time attending on you**

    • Will with Testamentary Trust: $2,200

    • Enduring Power of Attorney: $660

    • Advanced Health Directive: $440

    *A simple Will excludes any reference to self-managed super funds and business structures such as trusts or companies.

    **A complex Will includes references to self-managed super funds and business structures such as trusts or companies.

Contact us today or fill out our questionnaire to learn more about how we can assist you.