Rod Genders is a senior Australian lawyer specialising in Wills and Estate Planning, Probate and Estate Administration, Trusts and Guardianship and Inheritance Claims and Contested Estates in South Australia. His boutique specialist law firm, which was founded on 1848, is one of the oldest and most respected in Australia. Rod is an international author and speaker. Rod is the 3rd generation of Genders in the law and has been practising specialised law since the mid 80’s. He has acted as counsel or consultant to in excess of 50 other firms around Australia. Rod holds the SA state record for the highest ever personal injury award of damages, and has been involved in several of the largest personal injury claims in Australian legal history. For over 10 years he served on the Council of the Law Society of South Australia and is a senior member of its Succession Law Committee. Rod was a founding committee member of the South Australian branch of the London-based Society of Trusts and Estate Practitioners (STEP) for 8 years and was the founding Chair of the international STEP Digital Assets Special Interest Group. For over 25 years Rod has chaired a private committee enquiring into the affairs of protected persons. He is a member of the Law Council of Australia, and a member of its Succession and Elder Law Committee.

why single people should plan their estate

Why single people should plan their estate

Wills and Estate Planning
why single people should plan their estate

In our law practice, we talk a lot about estate planning for families.

It’s the most common application for our services—parents want to be able to protect the money they’ve saved and the assets they’ve accrued for their children, and provide an easy way for their assets to be passed down to their children when they die.

However a person who is single with no children—or, for that matter, a childless person whose spouse has passed away—may need estate planning services even more.

trust has to be earned

Trust has to be earned

Wills and Estate Planning
trust has to be earned

When I was a kid, I saw how people naturally gravitated to my mum and dad when they needed help.

Extended family and close friends turned to them when they were in trouble, and I used to wonder what it was that made my folks the ‘go-to’ people in that situation.

My mum was great at comforting people. She just had this way about her that put people at their ease. She welcomed them and – somehow – embraced them emotionally.

rebellious rant about wills

Rebellious Rant about Wills

Wills and Estate Planning
rebellious rant about wills

I’ve taken a hammering this week from people misplacing their anger about Wills and estates, and I’m sick of it. RANT ON:

I’ve just hung up the phone from an otherwise sweet lady, whose 100 year-old aunt had recently died without a Will.

I had to explain to her about the process of applying for Letters of Administration (differing from Probate), and which relatives have priority to do so, and how much the fees and expenses would be.

How Do I Find a Good Wills and Estates Lawyer

How Do I Find a Good Wills and Estates Lawyer?

Wills and Estate Planning
How Do I Find a Good Wills and Estates Lawyer

Finding a good lawyer is no easy task. Even if you know a good lawyer, they might not specialise in the area of law you require.

Whatever type of legal issue you find yourself confronting, finding the right lawyer is crucial for the outcome of the matter.

The first step in finding a lawyer is determining what type of issue you have. The category of lawyer that you are seeking, specialises in ‘Wills & Estates’.

at the end of 2020 will you look back proudly and say i did that

At the end of 2020, will you look back proudly and say ‘I did that’ ?

Advance Care Directive, Powers of Attorney, Wills and Estate Planning
at the end of 2020 will you look back proudly and say i did that

New Year’s resolutions are an ancient tradition, stretching back millennia. Over 4,000 years ago the Babylonians were the first people to make New Year’s resolutions.

Every year at this time, millions of people make resolutions promising improvements in their lives.

Alcohol will be forsworn, exercise embraced, hobbies sought, healthy eating vowed. It makes sense to respond to the indulgences of Christmas with this sort of healthy catharsis.

We need to talk about dying and death

Wills and Estate Planning
we need to talk about dying and death

South Australia wants more people to talk about it.

Medical breakthroughs and public health improvements have greatly increased life expectancy.

Other medical and technical developments have enabled many people to remain active for longer, giving them a better quality of life, as well as a longer life.

The flipside of this is the ballooning cast of care, accomodation and medications for the over 70’s.

end of life decisions

End of Life Decisions

Wills and Estate Planning
end of life decisions

As we get older, we need to have in place some important legal documents to protect ourselves, our family and our assets. If you wait too long, it could be too late.

On March 31, 2005, American woman Terry Schiavo passed away, after a 15 year legal battle over her fate.  During this time, her case became an international lightning rod for the discussion over end-of-life issues.

In brief, Terry had collapsed in her home on February 25, 1990. When the ambulance arrived, she was not breathing and had no pulse.

Funeral Musings

Funeral Musings

Wills and Estate Planning
Funeral Musings

The traditional funeral is becoming less common in Australia and the UK, with only 10% of people now wanting a religious funeral.

One in three prefer to hold a “family-only” life-celebration party rather than a large funeral. Another third do not want any ceremony at all and, for those who do, the use of pallbearers to carry coffins has dropped by 80%.

These statistics are based on a survey of funeral directors from over 500,000 funerals in the last five years and the views of 4,000 adults.

Do not store your original Will at the bank

Do not store your original Will at the bank

Wills and Estate Planning
Do not store your original Will at the bank

Major bank’s belated discovery of stored Wills could trigger estate disputes

It has emerged that one of the largest and oldest banks in the world – Lloyds Bank – has discovered a cache of thousands of stored Wills in its ‘Safe Custody’ service.

The service was closed to new customers in 2011, but in 2019 the bank discovered that the approximately 190,000 papers still stored there included about 9,000 Wills. Some of the envelopes could not be matched to Lloyds’ customers.