ESTATE PLANNING

What is Estate Planning?

Estate Planning is the way that you prepare and arrange for your estate to be passed onto your beneficiaries in the most simple and efficient way.

Estate Planning involves preparing your:

• Will (includes beneficiaries and Executors);
• Power of Attorney or Enduring Power of Attorney; or an
• Advanced Health Directive.

What are the benefits of Estate Planning?

Having a Will in place eliminates uncertainties, ensures that your possessions go to those that you intended them to and maximises the value of your estate by reducing taxes and other expenses.

Everybody’s situation is different, however in all cases it is important to reduce stress or fighting among those left behind by having a Will in place.

How does Estate Planning work?

The best way to protect your estate and ensure that it is distributed to your nominated beneficiaries is to have a signed, witnessed and current Will in place. This document is used to distribute your assets and specify your wishes upon your passing.

A Will is useful in all situations, particularly including the list below:

• Where you have very specific wishes for your estate;
• Where you have a large asset pool;
• You want flexibility in distributing your assets;
• If you want to maximise the tax savings possible through superannuation or testamentary trusts;
• If you want to pass on a business;
• If there are multiple or vulnerable beneficiaries;
• If you want to organise a superannuation payout;
• Deciding who will be appointed guardian to look after your children;
• To leave a gift or charitable donation;
• To organise your finances if you have capital losses or debt;
• Where you have life insurance; or
• Where your personal circumstances are complex.

Your Will needs to be updated with every significant change in your life. In addition your Enduring Power of Attorney needs to be updated if you have recently been married or divorced.

Additional Information

We can assist you to plan what you want to do with your estate, set up your Will, and create your Enduring Power of Attorney.

Depending on your individual situation we can assist you to create a trust, which allows you to transfer assets out of your name while still keeping control of the assets. This is called a Testamentary Trust and you can include a trust as part of your Will.

Contact us today to talk about your future and how we can assist you prepare your estate so that your family and wishes are protected in the event of your passing or incapacitation.