Estate planning is often an area that gets left on the “important” list and doesn’t get the attention it deserves because it’s not “urgent”. By the time it’s urgent, it may be too late.
Financial planners are not estate planning lawyers. We don’t draft the Wills. We don’t give legal advice on how to structure your affairs. What do we do then?
- We help you identify issues. For example, what’s an estate asset, what’s not an estate asset. How does tax play a part in all this? What should happen to the investments?
- We project manage from start to finish. We actually follow up to help you get it done (rarely do lawyers have the time to do this).
- We facilitate the discussion between you and the estate planning lawyer, saving you time and money on legal fees.
Areas we consider with you and the estate planning lawyer:
- Wills: are they up-to-date, taking into account the latest regulatory changes to ensure your wishes are carried out effectively, without unforeseen legal or tax consequences?
- Super Beneficiary Nominations: we help you work out who is eligible to receive super benefits, consider the use of reversionary nominations and minimise tax for superannuation death benefits (includes consideration of anti-detriment payments).
- Executorship: who is a suitable executor of your estate?
- Powers of Attorney: protect your lifestyle and assets even if you become temporarily or permanently incapacitated, by appointing a family member, trusted friend or independent adviser to make financial decisions in carefully specified circumstances.
- Powers of Guardianship and Advanced Health Directive: do you need them?
- Business succession planning: protection for you and your business partners should one of you die, become incapacitated, or simply need to leave the business unexpectedly, so you can maximise the value you’ve worked so hard to build.
- Asset protection: we help you select the optimal structure for your wealth, now and in the future, helping to shield your assets from creditors, litigation and unnecessary tax liabilities.
- Trusts: advice and independent trustee services for a range of private trust structures, helping to safeguard your assets and protect the interests of each of your family members.