Wills & Estates Administration

Our firm has long been recognised as one of the most respected Queensland Regional Law firms in the Succession and Estate area of law which involves:

  • Preparation of Wills
  • Estate and Succession Planning Strategies
  • Administration of Estate of Deceased relatives
  • Contests and disputes in relation to Wills and Estates

Your Will is one of the most important, if not the most important, documents you will sign. Therefore it is necessary to make sure it is done correctly and reflects your wishes. Administration of Estates occurs at an emotional and difficult time. Disputes and arguments over Wills and Estates can be very traumatic as they involve disputes between family members. We are mindful of the need to keep costs, distress and delays to a minimum. Glen Krebs is a Queensland Law Society Accredited Specialist in Succession Law and practices exclusively Succession Law and in Estate Administration work. As a further service to our clients, we will look after your Will and other documents in our Safe Custody vault. This service is provided free of charge.

Wills

A will is essential for anyone over the age of 18. It makes a clear outline of what your final wishes are, this can save lengthy court battles and family disputes. It is possible to buy do-it-yourself wills however these can prove to be more hassle and cause more problems than it is worth, which is the reason it is preferable to have a solicitor write your wishes in a way that is clear and precise. When a person dies intestate (without a will) there are often court battles as to how your assets and personal belongings are distributed. This can increase the cost and time of your estate administration. There are many things that can affect your will without you physically changing the document itself, for example:

  • Marriage
  • Divorce
  • Enter into a de facto relationship
  • Birth of children or grandchildren
  • Death of executor or beneficiary

It is recommended that you review your will every 5 (five) years on average to ensure that your circumstances and current wishes are still being met.

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Enduring Powers of Attorney

An Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) is a document designed so that you can appoint a person you trust (your attorney) to take care of financial, personal and/or health matters when you are unavailable or have lost capacity. EPA's can be very useful to have from the moment you turn 18 in case of an unexpected accident or illness, which renders you incapable of making your own decisions. Without an EPA, there can be major problems and family disputes. Your Attorney should be someone close to you that you trust absolutely as they can control everything in your life.

Advance Health Directive

An Advance Health Directive (AHD) provides direct instructions from you about how you wish your health care to be handled if you lose the capacity to make such decisions. This can relieve a great deal of stress and anxiety for your attorney or family members if any decisions need to made about life support or certain treatment options. You should carry a card or some sort of instruction on you at all times to state that you have an AHD and where it is held so that medical staff can get a copy as soon as possible.

Estate Administration

When a loved one passes away it can be extremely hard. Payne Butler Lang understands this and makes an extra effort to ensure the process is as quick as possible while also ensuring the best possible outcome. Every estate has its own personal situations and circumstances so if you would like to speak with our Queensland Law Society Accredited Specialist in Succession Law, Glen Krebs, please do not hesitate to contact our friendly staff.