Securing Your Legacy.
Comprehensive estate planning and probate services for individuals and business owners. Protect what you've built for the people who matter most.
Estate Planning for Multi-Jurisdictional Assets
Effective estate planning ensures that your wealth is transferred according to your wishes, with minimal tax impact and family disruption. For clients with assets in multiple countries, proper planning is not optional — it's essential.
We assist clients with drafting wills, establishing testamentary trusts, managing probate applications, and resolving estate disputes. Our cross-border expertise is vital for clients holding assets in Australia, India, Malaysia, and beyond.
Without proper planning, your estate could face intestacy rules, contested claims, unnecessary tax, and family disputes. We help you prevent all of this with proactive, well-structured estate planning.
⚠️ Did You Know?
Common estate planning risks you should address:
No valid will
Your estate is distributed under intestacy rules — potentially not your wishes.
Outdated will
Life changes (marriage, divorce, new children) can invalidate provisions.
No testamentary trust
Beneficiaries pay tax at marginal rates instead of lower trust rates.
No Power of Attorney
If incapacitated, no one can legally manage your affairs.
Estate Planning & Probate Services
Comprehensive services to protect your legacy, your family, and your business.
Will Drafting
Simple and complex wills including testamentary trusts for tax-effective wealth transfer. We ensure your wishes are clearly documented and legally binding.
Powers of Attorney
Medical treatment decision-makers and enduring powers of attorney for financial management. Essential documents for every adult.
Probate & Administration
Managing the affairs of deceased estates including applying for grants of probate, collecting assets, paying debts, and distributing to beneficiaries.
Estate Disputes
Contesting wills and defending estate claims (Part IV claims). We represent both claimants and executors in contested estate matters.
Business Succession
Planning for the transfer of business control, buy-sell agreements, key person arrangements, and succession governance structures.
Cross-Border Estates
Managing estates with assets in multiple countries — coordinating with foreign executors, navigating different succession laws, and managing international tax obligations.
Business Succession Planning
Protect your business legacy with structured succession planning.
Buy-Sell Agreements
Ensure business continuity by pre-agreeing what happens to business interests upon death, disability, or retirement of owners.
Key Person Planning
Identify and plan for the loss of key personnel, including insurance arrangements and succession training programs.
Family Business Governance
Establish family constitutions, governance boards, and succession frameworks that preserve family harmony and business value.
How We Help You Plan
Asset Review
We map your complete asset position — property, business interests, superannuation, trusts, and international holdings.
Strategy Design
We design an estate plan that achieves your objectives — tax efficiency, asset protection, and clear succession.
Documentation
We draft your will, powers of attorney, and any ancillary documents with precision and legal certainty.
Periodic Review
Life changes. We schedule regular reviews to ensure your estate plan remains current and effective.
Wills & Estate Planning Questions Answered
If you die without a valid will (intestate), your estate is distributed according to the intestacy rules under the Administration and Probate Act 1958 (Vic) (or equivalent legislation in each state). This means your assets may not go to the people you intended. For example, if you are in a de facto relationship but unmarried, your partner may receive less than expected, or assets may pass to estranged relatives. A properly drafted will ensures your wishes are documented, legally binding, and clearly communicated to your executor.
A testamentary trust is a trust established in your will that comes into effect upon your death. Unlike a direct bequest to beneficiaries, a testamentary trust allows the trustee to distribute income to beneficiaries (including minor children) at lower marginal tax rates rather than at the top marginal rate. This can result in substantial tax savings for your estate over time. Testamentary trusts also offer asset protection for beneficiaries who may be at risk from creditors, legal claims, or future relationship breakdowns.
Clients with assets in multiple countries require coordinated estate planning across all relevant jurisdictions. An Australian will is not automatically valid or enforceable in India or Malaysia — each country has its own succession laws, probate requirements, and formalities. We work with our partner firms in India and Malaysia to ensure: your Australian will is properly structured for cross-border effectiveness; a separate Indian or Malaysian will is in place if appropriate; and international probate processes are managed efficiently to minimize delays in asset transfer to your beneficiaries.
Absolutely. A will only takes effect upon your death. A Power of Attorney (POA) authorizes someone you trust to manage your financial and legal affairs if you lose capacity during your lifetime. An Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) continues in effect even if you lose mental capacity — this is the critical document for incapacity planning. Without an EPOA, your family may need to apply to VCAT for a guardianship or administration order to manage your affairs — a costly and time-consuming process we recommend avoiding.
Yes. Under Part IV of the Administration and Probate Act 1958 (Vic), eligible persons — including spouses, domestic partners, children, and in some cases stepchildren — can make a claim for further provision from an estate if they believe they have not been adequately provided for. The court considers factors including the deceased's moral duty, the claimant's need, and any gifts made during the deceased's lifetime. We represent both claimants seeking further provision and executors defending against such claims.
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Plan for the Future Today
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