News

FAQ on Estate Planning

While many people are unlikely to nominate estate planning (aka “Thinking about what will happen to my assets when I die”) as being on their “most wanted things to do” list, in reality, this is something that should be on all our “must do” lists. Proactively planning for how you would like your assets distributed […]

Can your ex-de facto inherit under your Will?

Once upon a time you were happily living together with your de facto partner. Roses were bought, dinners were cooked, finances were shared and Wills were signed leaving all your assets to the other partner in the event of what you then thought of as the far away time of your tragic passing. Thoughts of […]

Changes to Powers of Attorney – Victoria

On 1 May 2017 the Powers of Attorney Act 2014 (Vic) was amended by the Powers of Attorney Amendment Act 2016 (Vic). The amending Act introduced changes to clarify some operational and other matters associated with the making of a power of attorney. Further changes are forecast with the new Medical Treatment Planning and Decisions […]

Marriage, divorce and your Will – What you need to know

About half of all Australians don’t have a valid Will. Of those who do, many put their Will away in the bottom drawer of their filing cabinet and never think of it again. But making a Will is not a once in a lifetime task. Rather, it’s something that needs to be reconsidered and perhaps […]

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.