The longer we live, the more we may depend upon others — family members, friends, and professional carers. Australia now has one of the highest life expectancies in the world. That longevity is welcome, but it brings with it a sobering reality: the longer we live, the more time there is for those around us to take advantage.
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Once more into the archive of wonky wills, baffling bequests, and improbable inheritances. Our ongoing series continues with eight more examples of what happens when estate planning goes wrong — or simply goes sideways.
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Here we go again, with more Wacky Wills, Peculiar Probates and Dreadful Deaths. If you find yourself both appalled and entertained by what people get up to at the end of their days, this instalment of our series should not disappoint.
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Here is another instalment of our popular series covering weird Wills, problematic probates, and the occasional disturbing departure from this world. If the following examples provoke a smile, they are intended to. But as always, behind the humour lies a serious point: Wills are legal documents, and their consequences can outlast the amusement by many years.
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Death is a serious subject — but history has not been without its share of extraordinarily peculiar departures from this mortal coil. Our Weird Probate Issues series continues in its morbidly popular vein. Beyond the dark humour, however, each of these stories carries a practical estate planning message: death can be unexpected. The time to prepare is now.
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Celebrity estates are public affairs. When something goes wrong, it goes wrong in full view of the world. The estate planning mistakes of the rich and famous offer the rest of us an invaluable education — at no personal cost. Here are thirteen cautionary tales and the lesson each one teaches.
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Most people assume that a Will is valid so long as it reflects what the will-maker wanted. In fact, South Australian law imposes strict formal requirements on how a Will must be signed and witnessed before it takes effect as a legally binding document. Get the formalities wrong, and even a document that perfectly captures a person's wishes can be at risk of failing – unless the Supreme Court is persuaded to step in and rescue it under what is known as the dispensing power. This article explains what the formal requirements are, what can go wrong, and how the courts have been given a discretion to overlook defects in appropriate cases.
DetailsSome people are determined to have their final say. Our continuing series of eccentric last Wills and testaments proves that human ingenuity knows no bounds — even at the grave’s edge. Each story contains, somewhere beneath the absurdity, a lesson worth taking seriously.
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Many people assume that every deceased estate must go through a formal Grant of Probate before anything can be done. In reality, where an estate is modest in size and straightforward in nature, South Australian law and long-standing institutional practice allow for simpler, cheaper, and faster ways of finalising a person’s affairs. Understanding when a small estate can bypass the full probate process – and when it cannot – can save a grieving family significant time, expense, and paperwork.
DetailsThey say you cannot take it with you — but that has never stopped some people from trying to have the last word. Our earlier Weird Probate Issues articles proved so popular that we have developed an entire series. This instalment features fourteen individuals who used their Wills to make extraordinary, eccentric, and sometimes frankly bizarre final demands. While entertaining, each example carries a serious reminder: your Will is a legal document. Getting it right matters.
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