Estate Planning in Queensland – Be Prepared

Advanced health directives QLD

There are certainly challenges that come with growing old in Queensland. How, for example, would your healthcare decisions be made if you were unable to make them yourself? read more.

Estate planning … a smart move for the silly season

Peace of mind for the holiday season.

As another year comes to an end, now is the perfect time to have Ballantyne Law Group check the status of your estate planning strategy. That way you can leap into the holiday season knowing your needs and wishes are in the best of hands.

Will You Save Money by Writing Your Own Will?

Even the simplest of wills is important because it contains your wishes for your estate. Here, Ballantyne Law Group’s estate planning team explains why engaging a solicitor to prepare and administer your will is still a wise investment, despite cheaper options available today.

When do you need to make a new will?

Personal estate planning is an evolving process. It is very rare for our circumstances to remain static throughout our lifetime, which means that just making a will is not enough – you should be aware that you need to review your estate plan regularly, and particularly when your personal circumstances change significantly.

News round up – Estate Planning

Recent national news stories have put the issue of estate planning into the spotlight. These articles highlight generally the critical importance of appropriate estate planning for Australian adults of all ages.

Who controls a Discretionary Trust?

Discretionary trusts (often referred to as family trusts) are a very common method of holding assets in Australia, and are used to hold property and other financial assets and also as a way to own and operate small businesses.

Mental Health and Capacity

October is Mental Health Month and 10 October 2019 is world Mental Health Day.

More than 1 in 5 Australians are affected by mental illness, and there are a range of legal issues that can arise for sufferers and their family and supporters. One of the most critical legal issues when considering mental health is that of ‘capacity’ – the circumstances in which a person can make decisions for themselves, and the circumstances in which they can delegate these decisions.

Estate Planning and Coronavirus

With the rapidly escalating responses to the coronavirus pandemic, it is more important than ever to ensure that you have an appropriate estate plan in place – and in particular a valid enduring power of attorney and/or advance health directive, in order to ensure that you (or the people that you choose) can make decisions about personal and health care.