Estate Planning for Superannuation

Implementing estate planning measures for your superannuation entitlements is necessary because your superannuation does not automatically fall under your Will. Therefore, you need to put in place additional documentation to ensure that your superannuation death benefits are dealt with in the manner that you intend after your death. If you do not turn your mind to it, then you will not have any certainty regarding who your superannuation death benefits will be paid to if you pass away, and your superannuation is likely to be a significant part of your wealth.

Your superannuation entitlements may also be exposed to someone making a claim against them after your death if you pass away without any valid estate planning measures in place. This often results in expensive and time-consuming litigation and a lot of this heartache can be avoided with comprehensive estate planning solutions.

When you die, your superannuation benefits are not automatically covered by the terms of your Will. The Trustee of your particular super fund will usually have the ability to decide who your superannuation death benefits are paid to and in what proportions after your death, which may not be to the people who you would have intended.

For example, if you have super with Australian Super, and your Australian Super binding death benefit nomination lapses after 3 years and then you die, the Trustees of the fund may decide to pay your superannuation entitlements to an estranged child, or to your new spouse rather than to your children from your previous marriage as you intend. Your superannuation entitlements could also potentially be paid to your estate where they will then be exposed to any claim that may be brought against your estate after your death.

Depending on the governing rules of your fund, you may be able to prepare a document known as a Binding Death Benefit Nomination (BDBN) or Reversionary Pension Nomination (RPN) which allows you to specify who you want your superannuation to be paid to after your death. They are important estate planning documents and should be considered in line with your overall estate planning intentions.

A Binding Death Benefit Nomination (BDBN) is a document that allows you to nominate who will receive your superannuation death benefit when you pass away. The Trustees of the super fund will be bound to follow the terms of the death benefit nomination, provided it has been validly implemented in accordance with the particular fund’s requirements and legislation. A binding super death benefit nomination is an important estate planning document and should be considered in line with your overall estate planning intentions. It should never be looked at in isolation.

A Reversionary Pension Nomination (RPN) is a document that you can prepare which directs the Trustees of your super fund to pay the super pension you are receiving to another nominated person upon your death. It is important to be aware that not everyone is eligible to receive your super death benefit as an ongoing pension after your death. For example, a spouse can be a reversionary pension recipient, but an independent adult child cannot.

No, not directly. Your Australian superannuation can only be paid to certain classes of beneficiaries. These are set out in legislation and can be narrowed further by the rules of each particular super fund’s trust deed, but generally include your surviving spouse, your children (of any age), your stepchildren (only if their biological parent is still living), someone that is financially dependant on you for support or with whom you are in an interdependency relationship. Superannuation can also be paid to your Legal Personal Representative (i.e. your estate) where it will then be distributed to the beneficiaries in accordance with the terms of your Will.