Estate planning and wealth protection

What is it about?

What everybody should consider, but no one wants to think about it!

Do you care enough for your family and loved ones? Are you worried about what will happen if you become incapacitated, or pass on? Well, if the answer to the above questions is yes, then you should plan your estate properly.

Yes, you have an “estate”! Nearly everyone does. It can comprise of your car, home, other real estate, superannuation, savings, investments, life insurance, furniture, personal possessions. It doesn’t matter on the size of the estate there is one certainty, that you can’t take it with you when you die. Estate planning ensures peace of mind, that upon your demise, your heirs, or others you care about, receive the most out of all that you have worked so hard to accumulate, and not the tax man.

You keep talking about saving for your children’s education, buying a home or when to retire with your family and friends, but have you ever stopped to think of what will happen to your estate once you die? Avoiding this will not stop death from happening, and it shouldn’t be because it’s a vital financial plan.

At some point, your estate will have to be put in order, so would you rather do it or leave it to somebody else? No matter how much your net worth is, an estate plan is really important. With the increase of blended families, estate planning has become even more important for those with complex family structures.

Do I need estate planning help?

Absolutely yes! That’s why we are here, to make estate planning less hectic for you and even for your loved ones. We are highly experienced in handling all kinds of estates from simple to million dollar estates. We know each one is different and that is why we offer services specifically tailored for your needs.

Once you approach us to help you in estate planning, we will first listen to your concerns and then guide you on the necessary processes involved. Our experience ensures that we know how to deal with all your concerns right from the beginning to the end of the process.

To begin with, we will first evaluate your goals, the economic situation in your family and your relationships. We will give you advice on all the available options and help with:

• Liaising with your solicitor
  • Completion of binding death nomination
  • Tax effective estate planning
  • Superannuation death benefits
  • Special needs assets
  • Asset protection
  • Trusts

It’s better to plan for it properly. If you lack a good estate plan, your loss could result in financial chaos for your loved ones.

What are the components of an estate plan?

A Will

A Will is very easy to craft, but it needs the asset distribution to go through a probate. A probate is a legal procedure that involves:

• validation of the deceased persons will
• paying all the debts and taxes
• distribution of the property as the will dictates

The probate process involves lots of technical paperwork and may include court appearances which reduce the amount of estate passed to heirs.

A Trust

A trust can be difficult to set up and it requires professional help to ensure its right for your needs, but it can offer benefits that a will does not offer. A trust works even before your death whereas a Will works after your death.

A Power of Attorney Assignment

A power of attorney assignment allows a person to make financial legal decisions for an individual if they should get incapacitated, hospitalized or disabled. However, all powers of attorney are not equal though.