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Australian Courts Say DIY Wills Are a Curse

Do It Yourself Wills, Estate Planning, Trusts, Wills
Australian Supreme Court says DIY Wills are a curse

Western Australian Supreme Court Master Craig Sanderson has publically stated in a 2014 judgment that “Homemade Wills are a curse,” and inevitably lead to protracted and expensive legal battles in family disputes involving substantial estates.

Master Sanderson said the legal issue around the proper determination of the deceased’s Will could have been avoided if he had “consulted a lawyer and signed off on a Will that reflected his wishes”.

Master Sanderson warned of the dangers of homemade Wills, saying there was no question that engaging a properly qualified and experienced lawyer to draft a Will was “money well spent”.

“But where, as here, the estate of the deceased is substantial, the Will is opaque and there is no agreement among the beneficiaries, the inevitable result is an expensive legal battle which is unlikely to satisfy everyone.”

This view is supported by Rod Genders, who is a senior Australian lawyer specialising in trusts, Wills and estate planning, accident compensation, probate and deceased estate administration in Adelaide and throughout South Australia. His boutique specialist law firm, which was founded on 1848, is one of the oldest and most respected in Australia.

Critical Importance of Making a Will to Protect Children’s Inheritance From Previous Relationships

Protecting Children from Previous Relationships: The Critical Importance of a Well-Drafted Will

Blended Families and Divorce, Estate Planning, Inheritance Claims & Contested Estates, Trusts & Guardianship, Wills, Wills and Estate Planning, Young Children
Critical Importance of Making a Will to Protect Children From Previous Relationships

Modern family structures are more complex than at any previous time. Many Australians have children from more than one relationship, and may be in a subsequent marriage or domestic partnership with a partner who also has children of their own. Without careful estate planning, the competing interests of these various family members can produce outcomes upon your death that would cause you considerable distress if you could foresee them. This article explains why a well-drafted Will is indispensable for anyone with children from a previous relationship.

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End-of-Life Planning

Estate Planning, Planning for Disability and Incapacity, Wills
End-of-Life Planning

Deciding how you want to live out your last days is a touchy subject for most people, but if you don’t take the time to do so now, you and your loved ones could end up suffering needlessly. While you are still of sound mind, you need to determine whom you trust to make decisions about your lifestyle and medical care if you are ever incapacitated.

An expert Adelaide estate planning lawyer can document your end-of-life wishes with an Advance Care Directive to help you attain peace of mind about your future and get back to the business of living in the moment.