Estate planning gives you a final say

Planning for what happens when you pass away or become incapacitated is an important way of protecting those you care about, saving them from dealing with a financial and administrative mess in the future.

Your will gives you a say in how you want your possessions and investments to be distributed. But importantly, it should also include enduring powers of attorney and guardianship as well as an advance healthcare directive in case you are unable to handle your own affairs towards the end of your life.

At the heart of your estate plan is a valid and up to date will that has been signed by two witnesses. Just one witness may mean your will is invalid.

You must nominate an executor who carries out your wishes. This can be a family member, a friend, a solicitor or the state trustee or guardian.

Keep in mind that an executor’s role can be a laborious one particularly if the will is contested, so that might affect who you choose.

Around 50 per cent of wills are now contested in Australia and some three-quarters of contested wills result in a settlement. ⁱ

The role of the executor also includes locating the will, organising the funeral, providing death notifications to relevant parties and applying for probate.

Intestate issues

Writing a will can be a difficult task for many. It is estimated that around 60 per cent of Australians do not have a valid will in place. ⁱⁱ

If you don’t have a valid will, then you are deemed to have died intestate, and the proceeds of your life will be distributed according to a statutory order which varies slightly between states.

The standard distribution format for the proceeds of an estate is firstly to the surviving spouse. If, however, you have children from an earlier marriage, then the proceeds may be split with the children.

Is probate necessary?

Assuming there is a valid will in place, then in certain circumstances probate needs to be granted by the Supreme Court. Probate rules differ from state to state although, generally, if there are assets solely in the name of the deceased that amount to more than $50,000, then probate is often necessary.

Probate is a court order that confirms the will is valid and that the executors mentioned in the will have the right to administer the estate.

When it comes to the family home, if it’s owned as ‘joint tenants’ between spouses, upon death your share automatically transfers to your surviving spouse. It does not form part of the estate.

However, if the house is only in your name or owned as ‘tenants in common’, then probate will need to be granted. This process generally takes about four weeks.

Unless you have specific reasons for choosing tenants in common for ownership, it may be worth investigating a switch to joint tenants to avoid any issues with probate.

You will also require probate if there is a refund on an accommodation bond from an aged care facility.

Rights of beneficiaries

Bear in mind that beneficiaries of wills have certain rights. These include the right to be informed of the will when they are a beneficiary. They can also expect to hear about any potential delays.

You are also entitled to contest or challenge the will and to know if other parties have contested the will.

Estate planning can be tricky and emotional, particularly when your circumstances are a little more complex. So, get in touch with us to ensure your estate plan meets your wishes and takes account of all the issues, and be sure to revisit it if your circumstances change.