Testimonials

"Sam Janssen spent a good deal of time listening to the concerns and requests that I wanted to have in my Estate plan in a very courteous and compassionate manner. He explained any questions and concerns that I had in detail so that I understood the effect of this in the documents. Now completed I have great comfort knowing that my estate will be dealt with according to my wishes. The process from start to finish was accessible, secure, thorough and explained. Thanks to Sam and the team from EFL."

"Our advisor, Kylie Costigan has consistently provided excellent advice and service. Clear and thoughtful well versed in the legal issues to be faced and sensitive to our needs and wishes."

"Transparency, honesty, professionalism and respect are not often words used to describe the legal profession.

However, in this instance, these words do describe your firm and in particular Melissa Foote.

It is always a process executing Wills, even simple ones like my late mothers. In my meeting with Melissa this morning I found her to be incredibly knowledgeable and professional with just the correct amount of friendliness to make me feel at ease.

She explained to me certain aspects of legal procedures that I was unaware of and did not understand in a way that did not make me feel intimidated or stupid."

"Lovely service that covers all the details and all of the possibilities without ever becoming bogged down or irrelevant. The process and the requirements are transparent and customised, and all decisions were made by us without any push from the lawyer."

"Estate First are a focussed group of professional lawyers who really understand the intricacies of the most complex wills and who ensure clients are made aware of pitfalls which a simple will does not contain. Communication is fluent and precise while allowing clients to digest and query issues which require clarification or further elucidation. Thank you Estate First."

"Once we were booked in for our appointment, the process was very easy and smooth. Everything was well explained, and they were very patient, despite our many questions. Good peace of mind for our estate into the future."

"We are very grateful that our financial advisor referred us to Estate First Lawyers for our estate planning. The expertise and professionalism of our lawyer in guiding us through the process, was exceptional. They provided our whole family with invaluable knowledge on estate planning structures. We now have peace of mind knowing our estate plans are finalised and effectively structured to offer maximum protection and ongoing benefit to our children. We feel we have given our daughters a gift of love that will keep on giving long after our death. What an empowering and satisfying experience!"

"Our experienced and reliable Financial Advisor had recommended, as part of our Estate planning and Will preparation, that we establish Testamentary Discretionary Trusts to minimise tax payable by our dependants on our estate, and to provide some form of asset protection for our adult children. Our situation was straightforward but our then solicitor was not familiar with this type of Trust and steered us away from it, preferring just personalised Wills. After our next annual visit to our Financial Advisor he reiterated his prior advice for us to see Trust experts. We were told of Estate First Lawyers and they were very professional and helpful.
Estate First prepared Testamentary Discretionary Trust Wills for us and also arranged a Family Conference at which our lawyer answered queries. The conference gave our adult children a good overview of the benefits of the Trusts set up in our Wills. We hope it is many years before our deaths but we feel confident that the individual trusts set up will benefit our children and their dependents in many ways. Sincere thanks."

"When Mary and I recently undertook a long overdue revision of our Wills we were referred to Estate First. We had two meetings, the first of which involved extended discussions. We were enormously impressed by our lawyer’s interaction with us, their pleasant manner, and the careful, methodical, patient, and clear way in which they explained complex issues to us. It was apparent that our lawyer has a high level of expertise concerning this increasingly complex area and we would have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone about to make a will or seek advice on planning their estate."

"We entered remarriage each with adult sons and assets from previous partnerships which we have substantially enlarged as our own. We have subsequently received a large family inheritance requiring direction to one particular son.
Many hours were spent agonising over possible instructions for our Wills to ensure that the surviving partner would continue a reasonable standard of living while each of our sons and grandchildren were treated fairly, and in a timely manner to avoid disputes.
Our lawyer explained the principles of law involved and enabled us to examine the situation systematically and unemotionally. They suggested a structure and mechanism that suited our situation. We are now happy that our Wills reflect our wishes, are structured appropriately and will stand the test of time."

"I want say what a fantastic service you provided to us. We really appreciate your professionalism & your manner of dealing with us. I am feeling so relieved that I have this part of destiny under control."

"I found my lawyer very informative, explained everything to my satisfaction and at my level of understanding and very thorough. I certainly felt very relieved after the meeting."

"This is just a very quick ‘thank you’ for all your help over the past few weeks and for guiding us through the minefield in such a professional manner. I am pleased to let you know that you exceeded our expectations."

"Our circumstances were complicated and involved extended families and children that may require ongoing professional support and financial protection.
We had tried unsuccessfully to develop a suitable Will with others.
Estate First Lawyers took the time to understand our needs and explained the potential pitfalls that may eventuate. Our Lawyer provided clarity for the way forward and carefully crafted a unique solution that provides a secure and lasting benefit for our family.
We now have total peace of mind in this regard."