News

Retirement Living Life beyond bingo and bowls!

Not surprisingly people talk about buying their first home as being a life changing event and it is. However, in the past it has been rare for people to talk so excitedly about moving into some form of retirement living. Given that sooner or later most of us are likely to have to deal with […]

Why it’s a bad idea to write your own Will

It is relatively easy to find a free Will template on the internet and fairly cheap to buy a Will “kit” from a newsagent or online. There are also websites that have “data collectors” that take your information and create a Will for you seemingly without any legal expertise required. So, is it really a […]

Challenging a Will in Victoria

Claims can be made for further provision from a deceased estate if relatives or loved ones believe that insufficient provision has been made for them however, not everyone is entitled to challenge the validity of a Will. To be entitled to challenge you must have an “interest” in the deceased estate. That means you must […]

Being the executor in a deceased estate

After a person dies someone has to look after the assets of that person and pay the person’s debt. Although the person is no longer here, his or her affairs must be finalised and the person to finalise the affairs is appointed by the Will of the deceased.   Where a person is appointed by […]

New Powers of Attorney in Victoria What do the changes mean for you?

The new Powers of Attorney Act 2014 (Vic) commenced on 1 September 2015. Find out below what changes there will be and what this may mean for you, your family or someone you care about.   What is a Power of Attorney? A Power of Attorney is a legal document that allows someone to choose […]

Beyond the four corners of the will

Our principal at City Pacific Lawyers, Elizabeth Michael, has published an article in the February Edition of the Law Institute Journal.

Her article discusses the increasing requirement for solicitors to take a holistic approach to estate planning and looking beyond the four corners of the will.

Top 6 Power of Attorney Questions

A Power of Attorney is a legal document that gives a trusted person, the legal authority to act for you, and to make legally binding decisions on your behalf.  If you do not have a Power of Attorney then you should contact us and find out more. Below are 6 top questions dealing with Powers […]

Testamentary Trusts

Testamentary trusts can be very effective estate planning tools to assist in providing for spouses, children and grandchildren, and are becoming increasingly popular as more people become aware of their advantages. A Testamentary Trust is any trust established under a will, but the term is usually used in the context of a discretionary family trust […]

Making Your Will Count – Healthy Will Checklist

It is important for everyone over 18 to have a will to make sure their wishes are followed and their assets are distributed as they would want after they die. If you don’t have a will your assets will be divided according to how the law dictates in the rules of intestacy, that is, when […]