people behaving badly

People behaving badly part – 4

Wills and Estate Planning
people behaving badly

In my profession we have an expression: “You never know anyone until you share an inheritance with them”.

It is a true revealer of character. In my work as a lawyer specialising in Wills and estates, I am witness to some appalling human behaviour.

Due to the popularity of this series of articles, here are some more examples as cautionary tales:

An old man lies dying in a hospital bed. His Will was made less than a year earlier, leaving everything equally between his 3 kids.

people behaving badly

People behaving badly – part 3

Wills and Estate Planning
people behaving badly

In my work as a lawyer specialising in Wills and estates, I am witness to some appalling human behaviour.

Due to the popularity of this series of articles, here are some more examples as cautionary tales:

In my 35+ year career I have frequently had to try to deal with joint executors in a deceased estate, some of whom could not agree on the colour of an orange.

people behaving badly

People behaving badly part 2

Wills and Estate Planning
people behaving badly

In my work as a lawyer specialising in Wills and estates, I am witness to some appalling human behaviour.

Due to the popularity of this series of articles, here are some more examples as cautionary tales:

Probate fraud can take many forms and, like many other types of fraud, it has steadily increased in recent years, more so during the COVID-19 pandemic.

people behaving badly

People behaving badly – part 1

Wills and Estate Planning
people behaving badly

Coercive Control, Granny Napping and Predatory Marriages are all occurring with increasing frequency.

There have been 2 Royal Commissions already exploring some of these issues, with more to come. The common theme is the financial exploitation of vulnerable older people in western society.

Financial exploitation disproportionately affects older people in Australia, UK and USA.

naming a child-guardian in a will

Naming a Child-Guardian in a Will

Wills
naming a child-guardian in a will

You may already know that marriage automatically revokes all prior Wills (with a few special exceptions) in every state and territory in Australia.

But did you know that divorce does not necessarily have the same effect? Depending on where you live, your ex-spouse might still be entitled to inherit under your Will.

Further, your powers-of-attorney and advance directives are not affected by divorce at all.

family feud or happy days

Family Feud or Happy Days

Wills
family feud or happy days

If you overlook the need to get your affairs in order in an organised manner, it creates quite a mess for your family when you die or if you become incapacitated.

So here’s a few tips to help your family say “thank you”, rather than leave them a mess:

Keep your stuff in order

This is the number one estate-planning rule – one simple but crucial bit of wisdom that often gets overlooked.

marriage or de facto some legal issues to consider

Marriage or De Facto – Some Legal Issues to Consider

Estate Planning, Wills and Estate Planning
marriage or de facto some legal issues to consider

You may have thought the hardest decisions associated with formalising your relationship related to organising the party and keeping uncle Fred away from cousin Merle, but here are a few other considerations…

Change of Name

Traditionally, when a woman married, she took the last name of her husband. However this is not as common as it once was, and there is no legal compulsion to do so.

separation divorce and estate planning

Separation, Divorce And Estate Planning

Wills
separation divorce and estate planning

The end of a relationship is tough. The loss of dreams and expectations can be heartbreaking.

When separating, every conversation becomes all about looking after the kids and dividing up your property.

However, now that you are no longer a couple, you also need to give some urgent attention to your estate planning.

Failing to update your estate planning documents can have serious consequences for you, your assets and your children.

who needs a lawyer to write a will

Who needs a lawyer to write a Will?

Wills and Estate Planning
who needs a lawyer to write a will

Have you ever suspected that there might be a disconnect between social media on the one hand, and real life on the other? Yeah, me too.

And, have you noticed that the (generally anonymous) people who shout the loudest, often are bitter and judgmental about everyone that doesn’t conform to their particular bias?

So I probably shouldn’t be surprised that some people who hate lawyers are very loud on social media about making their own Wills.

why diy wills arent for winners

Why DIY Wills aren’t for winners

DIY Wills
why diy wills arent for winners

Why?  Because he was a busy person who preferred to have it done for him, and he believed (justifiably) that the chef in the kitchen had access to professional carving knives that would make sharper cleaner cuts than Elvis could achieve for himself.

The ‘King’ recognised the efficiency of employing a specialist to do something better than he could do for himself.

You remember the famous words “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for life!”