As a young lawyer, I hear this all the time - it is a common misconception which many young people have! What happens when you die without a valid Will? This is called dying intestate. When someone dies intestate, their estate is divided in accordance with the rules of intestacy outlined [...]
Comments like the title to this blog are often said as a joke when people are having an often difficult discussion about what they want to do with their property when they die. While you can in fact leave everything to the old cats and dogs home, that is not [...]
My phone must be listening to my conversations whilst I am at work, home, everywhere! Because my targeted Facebook and Instagram ads of late have been flooded with apps and websites advertising a ‘do it yourself’ Will kit. The irony of these ads targeting a Wills & Estate lawyer is certainly [...]
The signing of a Will by a person (testator) and the witnessing of that Will have always been an important part of ensuring the validity of a Will. The solicitor who drafted the will must verify the testator’s identity and ensure that anyone witnessing the will is not a beneficiary [...]
Just because you are limiting your contact with people, you don't need to delay discussing your family law matter. We are happy to meet with you by Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, or conference over the phone. Get in touch today and we'll organise an obligation-free initial consultation at a time to [...]
There are three types of gifts that can be bequeathed to beneficiaries in a Will. These gifts are typically in the form of: A specific gift such as identified property, a motor vehicle or a piece of artwork/jewellery; A pecuniary gift in the form of money; or A residuary gift [...]
In New South Wales if you die without a valid Will you will die intestate. A common question we have is "doesn’t my partner just inherit everything anyway?" The Succession Act 2006 outlines a spouse’s entitlement of a person who dies intestate. Specifically a spouse of an intestate has been [...]
This Saturday Feb 27 we're helping raise funds for mental health charity Beyond Blue at City Gym's Fair Day. We'll be preparing Wills and donating the proceeds to Beyond Blue, so come along and support a great cause while ticking off that important item on your 'must do' list! There will [...]
The neighbours of a deceased elderly lady will inherit two waterfront properties worth around $15 million dollars in a recent case decided in the Equity division of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. Mrs Barbara Murphy did not have a spouse or children to leave her estate and owned [...]
When you make a Will, you must appoint an executor whose role it is to ensure your estate is administered in accordance with your Will and your wishes are carried out. Many will makers with more than one child, appoint all of their children as joint executors in an attempt [...]