Estate First can provide comprehensive estate planning services to protect you and your loved ones. Our estate planning lawyers can help you put together a compliant estate plan that aligns with your wishes for when you pass away or lose capacity. For more information about our estate planning services, please get in touch with us today.
Estate Planning is more than a Will
To ensure that your wealth passes to your loved ones on your death, and you are safeguarded in the event of any incapacity, you need more than a Will. Your estate plan is like a rope that needs to be strong when relied on. A Will is one important strand in the rope, but on its own can’t carry the weight of what needs to be done. See our range of estate planning services.
Ticking the right boxes
Estate First Lawyers ensures your assets are well protected once you pass away with our comprehensive estate planning services.
An estate plan drafted by our estate planning lawyers covers off on all of the elements required to carry you and your family through this difficult time of life. It consists of many ‘strands’. A strong estate plan prepared by our experienced estate planning lawyers ticks the following boxes:
A Will that is thorough and well drafted
Additional documents to govern assets not covered by the Will (such as superannuation, trust assets and many jointly held assets)
A tax effective strategy to save money for your estate and loved ones, providing support when they need it most
A risk strategy against the increasing threat of an estate claim (by spouses, children and other eligible applicants)
Asset protection for the inheritance you leave to your beneficiaries, such as a testamentary trust in your Will, to secure your legacy
In the event of your incapacity, a robust strategy and thoroughly drafted documents, to protect you and your assets
We’re here to help you with your estate planning
Secure your legacy with Estate First Lawyers. With decades of experience, our estate planning lawyers are here to make the process as straightforward and hassle-free as possible.
When we meet, we will take the time to advise you on your options, tailored to your needs and particular situation. We can help you put together a comprehensive estate plan that ‘ticks all of the boxes’, along with a fixed fee quote. Whether you’re based in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, or located anywhere in Australia, our estate planning lawyers are here to help.
Talk to Us Today
Please complete the form below. Alternatively, you can call us on 1300 132 567.
Our Estate Planning Services
We offer the full range of estate planning strategies and our team of career dedicated estate planning lawyers has the expertise to ensure you have a strong estate plan so that your legacy is secured. We understand that no two families are the same and each situation requires a tailored approach to estate planning. Our estate planning lawyers can easily accommodate your unique needs and financial circumstances.
When it comes to safeguarding your assets, the last thing you want is to be tied up in a confusing process and excessive legal fees. Our estate planning services avoid both. Because we focus only on estate work, we provide you with a professional estate service that is efficient and cost effective.
Our highly experienced legal team not only provide you with the best estate planning services and legal solutions but we also work hard to provide you with a great client experience.
If you are a first time client, we offer a special discount for your first consultation (up to 1.5 hours) of $350+GST. In that time you will receive valuable, tailored advice. There is no obligation to go ahead with any of our recommendations, but if you do proceed with a Will, the $350+GST fee will be waived. We offer an Australia wide service.
Your estate planning is made quick and easy with our unique ‘4 easy steps’ process.
Whether we meet virtually or face to face, we will listen, answer your questions, craft your estate plan and provide you with a fixed fee quote.
94%Clients accept the fixed fee quote and proceed
3
We'll Keep You Updated
You will receive draft documents to review. You can discuss your plan with us at any time you want.
92+Years of combined legal experience in Estate Law
4
Final Document Meeting
We will go through all of your final documents together to ensure the plan is exactly what you want.
99%Clients have peace of mind with their Estate Plan
Safe Custody of your documents
We are here for you and your family for the long term. We offer you as our client the option of storing your estate planning documents as part of our LegalSafe® program.
Our LegalSafe service includes:
Registering your legacy documents and your details in our safe custody records.
Storing your legacy documents using our ‘double packet’ method in our flood free, dedicated document facility.
Protecting access for only you and your authorised persons.
Updating your safe custody records when you update your legacy documents with Estate First Lawyers.
Estate planning is more than just a Will. It involves a holistic and detailed consideration of your wealth and the various legal vehicles it is held in as not all ‘pots’ of assets pass in accordance with your Will. The estate plan ensures that your wealth in all pots pass to your loved ones on your death in accordance with your wishes. In addition, it involves a consideration of how to safeguard your wealth if you lost capacity. Particular caution is required in estate planning documentation for a number of reasons. Firstly, these documents only come into play once you are no longer here to see your wishes through. This means that it is vital that your documents are legally valid and accurately convey your intentions. Secondly, because many of your ‘assets’ may not automatically fall into your Will (such as jointly held property, superannuation or assets you hold in a family trust), you need to thoroughly cover off on all of the additional estate planning paperwork required, in addition to your Will. One of our experienced estate planning lawyers and succession lawyers can help you formulate a successful strategy to pass all of your wealth to those you love most and reduce the risk of it going elsewhere. We specialise in succession law and have crafted thousands of plans to protect our clients’ interests. Estate First Lawyers provide friendly, personalised, and confidential advice and documents around your estate planning, which provides asset protection, tax effective strategies and minimises the chances of an estate claim. Contact our estate planning lawyers to make an appointment or to find out more about how we can help you on 1300 132 567.
Estate planning is more than just a Will. Whilst the creation of a comprehensive, well-designed Will is a core component of estate planning, a Will can’t do everything. An Estate Plan needs to cover off on all your assets (some of which are not governed by your Will) and your wishes regarding your health and financial decisions if you were incapacitated. Your house, investment properties, superannuation, insurances, trusts/companies, and personal items all intersect with multiple areas of the law and they only work together to achieve your wishes when you have a thorough estate plan in place. You minimise your risk of something going wrong when you have the assistance of an experienced estate planning lawyer. Furthermore, there are often asset protection and tax strategies that we can implement to help prevent your assets from being eroded and all your hard efforts lost. Our experienced succession lawyers will spend the time to understand your needs and give you the options to achieve your legal intentions at a competitive, fixed fee price. Contact us today on 1300 132 567.
The answer is ‘no, you can prepare a DIY Will’, but it may be the most expensive Will you ever do! The area of Wills and estate planning is becoming more and more complex, and the litigated cases are rapidly increasing and are very expensive to run. Many DIY Wills come before the courts, and the cases primarily are on two issues:
Clauses in the DIY will are not drafted professionally enough, and so its meaning is unclear. The court takes the Willmaker’s drafting very seriously because the Willmaker is no longer available to clarify what they meant. Questions arise on what appears to be the simplest of drafting, such as ‘does a gift of my home’ mean the gift of my retirement village unit?’ Or ‘does a gift of $50,000 to my niece Mary and my nephew John’ mean $50,000 each, or together? Legal fees can (and have) easily run to over $100,000 to answer these questions, not to mention the delays and added stress on the family.
DIY Wills often are drafted without proper knowledge of the limits of a Will (for example it does not automatically dictate how your super will pass, or how joint tenancies will pass) or take into account the risk of estate claims by eligible persons who have not been adequately provided for in the Will.
No wonder DIY Will kits are called the estate litigation lawyers best friend! Proper Will preparation and estate planning is key. Estate First have specialist estate planning lawyers who know the risks involved in this area of law and can provide you with a fixed fee quote to ensure you have peace of mind when it comes to your legacy.
It is important to take the time now to secure your legacy for your loved ones in the future. You can save your family from the stress of a poorly constructed estate plan by contacting a professional succession lawyer to draft your documents. One of our experienced succession lawyers at Estate First can assist you with:
Advise on ways to protect your assets, from estate claims and unnecessary tax;
Preparing a Will that maximises your family’s inheritance, including Testamentary Trusts if you wish;
Preparing your Enduring Power of Attorney and other documents if you were incapacitated;
Advise you when selecting executors and guardians;
Prepare other estate planning documents for your super or trusts to secure your interests after your death; and
Keep your Will and other testamentary documents securely if you choose to access our LegalSafe program.
Why choose Estate First Lawyers for estate planning?
We realise that each individual and each family is different, and this requires a tailored estate plan at an affordable fixed fee price. We also know you need to have peace of mind that your wishes will be carried out once you are no longer here, and our firm is also able to guide your loved ones through that process when the time comes. We make the process of preparing your estate plan easy by preparing your documents promptly, usually within a timeframe of three to four weeks from the date of your initial appointment (and quicker of course if the matter is urgent). We also can store your documents in our LegalSafe program, which ensures that your documents are kept safe for when the time comes. Estate First Lawyers consistently receive very high client satisfaction ratings across all of our solicitors and support staff, and our solicitors have won a number of awards in consecutive years recognising their expertise in this area. Protect your legacy and the future of your loved ones by hiring a professional, experienced and caring estate planning lawyer. With a team of dedicated succession lawyers with decades of experience, Estate First Lawyers will always be here to help you and your family. Contact our Estate Planning Team today
Proper and legitimate estate planning with a professional estate planning lawyer ensures your assets are distributed according to your wishes after you pass away. For individuals with multiple assets of varying value, estate planning can also help minimise legal complications, family disputes as well as create tax planning opportunities. Without a proper plan, your estate could be subject to lengthy probate processes and your assets may not go to the intended beneficiaries.
Can I change my estate plan after it has been created?
Yes, you can update your estate plan at any time, especially if there are significant life changes such as marriage, divorce or the birth of a child. Life changes at the drop of a hat, which means it's essential to review your plan regularly with your estate planning lawyer to ensure it reflects your wishes and financial situation.
In Australia, if you die without an estate plan, this is known as dying intestate. This means your loved ones will have to submit a Grant of Letters of Administration to the court to have someone appointed as the administrator over your assets, which may not align with your wishes. The process can be time-consuming and costly and could lead to disputes among family members, making engaging the legal expertise of an estate planning lawyer essential.
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"We have confidence in the integrity, knowledge and skills of the people at Estate First Lawyers. Everyone I’ve dealt with at Estate First Lawyers has been friendly and reliable."
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"We should just like to re-emphasize how pleased we are to have come to you for our Estate Planning. We have been very impressed with the attention to detail and the way various options to meet our needs have been presented and worked through."
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"Very professional, personal service and understanding of our individual needs. We felt very comfortable and were guided through the process with expert advice tailored to our situation."
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Find out more or request a fixed-fee consultation
Fixed Fee Consultation for up to 1.5 hours:
$350+GSTAustralia Wide
Talk to us for a no obligation free chat. If you are requesting an appointment, there is no fee required up front. You will be billed after your consultation.
If you proceed with a new Will after the meeting, the $350 + GST fee is absorbed into the Will price.
Important Covid-19 Message: We Are Here To Serve You
Estate First Lawyers is open for business, and we continue to assist our clients with their estate planning needs. Your safety, security and wellbeing are our priority.
We are able to meet with you face to face, and can witness your documents at our main office at Toowong, our Brisbane CBD office or on our regular visits to Sydney, Melbourne and Qld regional centres.
Alternatively, you can access our increasingly popular virtual service. We meet with you via Zoom for your initial appointment to fully discuss your estate planning or estate administration matter and provide you with our recommendations and a fixed fee quote.
Our virtual meetings are getting great feedback and it means that you can get your Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney and other estate planning documents done from the comfort of your own home quickly and at the same quality service level that we are renowned for.
You do not need any software – we simply send you a link to the virtual meeting in an email. Our processes over the Internet are encrypted and meet a high level of security standard in line with Queensland Law Society guidelines.
Please feel free to contact us to make an appointment or with any questions by phone or email.
