Wills and Estate Planning
At Era Succession Law we provide tailored estate planning advice bespoke documents that reflect your unique circumstances, values and goals.
We take a collaborative approach, working closely with accountants, financial planners and other trusted advisers to ensure your estate plan is comprehensive and practical.
By listening carefully to understand your needs, we create an estate plan designed to protect your assets, support your family and give you peace of mind.
Simple Wills with bespoke drafting
A Will takes effect after you die and provides instructions on how your assets are to be dealt with. A simple Will is often prepared when your intentions and affairs are straight forward. We leverage tailored advice bespoke drafting to ensure that your Will reflects your intentions, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all-families approach.
Powers of Attorney
A Power of Attorney appoints someone you trust to make financial and legal decisions on your behalf if you are unable to, ensuring your affairs can continue to be managed if you lose the capacity to do so.
Appointments of Enduring Guardian
An Appointment of Enduring Guardian allows you to nominate someone who will make lifestyle and health decisions for you if you lose capacity and can direct how you would like decisions about living arrangements and medical treatment to be made.
This is often coupled with an Advanced Care Directive, which sets out your values and preferences for medical treatment and end of life care.
Superannuation Nominations
Superannuation does not automatically form part of your estate under your Will. A binding death benefit nomination directs your superannuation to be paid to specific beneficiaries on your death.
For self-managed super funds, it is essential that the nomination complies with the fund trust deed. It is important the nomination aligns with your broader estate plan, to support your intentions and leverage the consideration of tax consequences.
Testamentary Trusts
Established in your Will, there are several types of trusts that can be leveraged in your estate plan to based on the needs of your beneficiaries and your wishes for your estate. Testamentary trusts can provide flexibility, asset protection and tax benefits for your beneficiaries, while safeguarding your estate.
Trust and Entity Succession
More complex assets and affairs such as companies, partnerships, family trusts and self-managed superannuation fund require careful planning for their succession. Their interaction with your estate plan will likely involve review of the corporate documentation and structuring the passing of ownership, control and decision-making to align with your intentions for your estate.
Family Meetings
Family meetings in estate planning bring your family together to discuss and explain your intentions and the plan for your estate. We often use a family meeting when your affairs are complex, you wish to educate and empower your family with information or where there is potential for conflict in your estate.