Your will, done properly. Sooner than you think.
Most people mean to make a will and never quite get to it. We make it simple: one conversation, a draft in plain English, and a signing appointment at our office or your home. Fixed fees, explained up front.
Six in ten people in NSW don’t have a valid will
According to NSW Trustee and Guardian, around 60% of people in NSW do not have a valid will. Without one, the law decides who receives your estate, who looks after your affairs and, if you have young children, the process for deciding who cares for them. It is almost always slower, more expensive and harder on the people you leave behind.
Usually it is a life event that prompts people to act. If one of these has happened to you, it is time to make or review your will:
- Having a baby
- Buying a home
- Getting married
- Separating or divorcing
- A new relationship or blended family
- Retiring
- A diagnosis
- Losing a parent or partner
- Receiving an inheritance
- Starting a business
Source: NSW Trustee and Guardian, October 2024.
How it works
A conversation
We talk by phone, video or in person about your family, your assets and your wishes, and point out anything that needs thought.
Your draft
We send your draft will by email with a plain English explanation, and make any changes you need.
Signing
You sign with us at our office, or we come to you. Powers of attorney and guardianship documents are explained to you and the people you appoint by a solicitor.
Safe keeping
We can hold your original will in our safe custody, so it can be found when it matters.
What to have ready
- A list of your assets: property, bank accounts, superannuation, shares and other investments
- Names and addresses of the people you want as beneficiaries, executors, trustees and guardians
- Your existing will, if you have one
Will kit or solicitor?
A will kit can work for a very simple estate. But a will that is unclear or not properly signed can cost far more to sort out than it saved. We recommend professional advice if any of these apply to you:
- You are single or in a first relationship with no children from earlier relationships
- Everything you own is in your sole name
- You want to leave everything to one or two people
- You have a blended family or children from a previous relationship
- You own property with others, or have a family trust or company
- You have significant superannuation (it does not automatically follow your will)
- Someone may be likely to contest your will
- You want to provide for a child, a vulnerable beneficiary or a charity
Planning for later life
A will only takes effect when you die. An enduring power of attorney lets someone you trust manage your financial and legal affairs if you can’t. An appointment of enduring guardian lets someone make health, lifestyle and medical decisions for you. Together with your will, they form a complete estate plan.
We regularly visit clients at home, in hospital and in aged care to prepare and sign these documents, and take the time to explain them to the people you appoint.
Looking beyond the will
Good estate planning also looks at how your assets are held. Jointly owned property, superannuation nominations and the way bank accounts are structured can all pass outside your will, and in New South Wales the Supreme Court’s probate filing fee rises with the value of the estate. Thoughtful planning now can make your estate simpler, faster and less expensive to administer. For larger estates, we also prepare discretionary testamentary trusts.
Tara has been nothing but amazing and helpful, showing professionalism and understanding with every aspect of my matter, communicating clearly every step of the way with a personal touch and I cannot praise her enough!
Put it off long enough?
Start with a free initial phone call and have your will signed within weeks.