Estate Planning in Queensland – Be Prepared
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.
Enduring Power of Attorney: What You Need to Know When Estate Planning in Queensland
Wills, General Powers of Attorney, and Enduring Powers of Attorney serve different purposes when it comes to ensuring your wishes are carried out in the future. 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.
Informal Wills in Queensland
In an ideal world, we would all be up to date with our planning, including our estate planning. Unfortunately, studies show that a large proportion of Australian adults do not have a current, up-to-date will. What happens when someone dies without a will, but with another document that may purport to be a will but that doesn’t meet the formal requirements? In 2006 changes were introduced to the Succession Act 1981 (Qld) (the Act) which authorised the Queensland Supreme Court to recognise (in limited circumstances) these ‘informal wills’ in Queensland.
Estate Planning Basics – Video
James Ballantyne recently gave a short presentation to BNI Elite – Helensvale on basic issues in estate planning.
Witnessing Wills in Queensland
On 23 April this year, the Covid-19 Emergency Response Act 2020 received royal assent and came into force in response to the ever-changing requirement for new law as a result of the Covid-19 global pandemic.
Three things you need to know about binding nominations
When it comes to the distribution of superannuation benefits after your death, a binding nomination is one of the best options – as long as proper measures are in place. Ballantyne Law Group’s Gold Coast estate planning lawyers can help you with this important process.
5 Common Questions When Considering Estate Planning In Australia
At Ballantyne Law Group on the Gold Coast, our will and estate planning lawyers are qualified specialists in these serious and sensitive legal processes. Where possible, we provide fixed professional fees for this work. When that is not possible – generally in more complex cases – we still provide cost-effective, transparent and time-costed services, with no surprise charges for photocopying, petties, postage and sundries. Read our latest blogs on 5 Common Questions When Considering Estate Planning In Australia .
What happens if I die without a will?
In 2018 an Australian research organisation conducted a survey that found more than half of Australian adults – almost 10 million people – don’t have a will.
While Queensland was the state with best take up, the survey found only 50% of adults here have made a will.
The survey did not address how many of the people who have wills may have wills that are incomplete or ineffective.
Most of us are aware that we should have an appropriate will in place to deal with out estate after we die, but for a variety of reasons – most commonly that they simply haven’t got around to it yet – people are often reluctant to undertake this important process.
It is important to understand what happens if someone dies without a will, and why it important that if you make a will, it is prepared correctly and effectively.
How did COVID-19 affect estate planning?
As the global pandemic continues to impact our lives, economy and health system, it is more important than ever to have an estate plan in place. At Ballantyne Law Group, our estate planning team can help you create an estate plan or review and amend an existing one.
