Skip to content
Aurex Law
Practice area

Estate planning

Most people own four or five things that each pass by a different rule. A will governs one of them. Estate planning is the work of lining all of them up so that what actually happens is what you intended.

5.0 from 130+ reviews
Fee
from $990
Timing
Two meetings, sometimes three
First call
Free, fifteen minutes
What it covers

The work that sits under this heading.

  • A will and enduring powers of attorney, prepared together
  • Binding death benefit nominations on superannuation
  • How jointly held property and survivorship affect the plan
  • Testamentary trusts for asset protection and tax
  • Family trusts and company interests, and who controls them next
  • Life insurance, and whether it should be paid to the estate
How it runs

From the first call to the signature.

  1. 01

    We map what you actually own

    Sole names, joint names, superannuation, insurance, trusts, companies. Half the value in a typical plan passes outside the will entirely, and people are routinely surprised by which half.

  2. 02

    We work out where each piece lands

    Then we test it against what you want to happen: this child, that charity, a business that needs to keep running on the Monday after.

  3. 03

    The documents are drafted as a set

    Will, attorney appointments, nominations and any trust deed are prepared together so that no two of them contradict each other.

  4. 04

    Signed, stored, and reviewed

    Everything is signed properly and catalogued in one file. We diarise a review, because a plan that is five years out of date is not a plan.

What you receive

Everything in the fee.

  • A written plan showing how every asset passes, and to whom
  • Will and enduring powers of attorney as one matched set
  • Superannuation nomination checked, and redone if it has lapsed
  • Testamentary trust drafting where it genuinely earns its keep
  • Free storage and a diarised review
Common questions

  • Sometimes. It can protect a beneficiary going through a separation, a bankruptcy or an illness, and it can improve the tax position for minor children. It also costs more to run. We will tell you plainly when it is not worth it.

  • No. A family trust does not die with you and its assets are not yours to give away. What matters is who becomes appointor and trustee, and that is in the deed, not in your will. We read the deed.

  • It depends on who needs it and how quickly. Paid to a nominated person it arrives fast and outside the estate. Paid to the estate it can be shared under the will but is exposed to estate debts. There is a right answer for your situation.

  • Two meetings for most families, with two to three weeks between them. Business and trust interests usually add a third meeting and a conversation with your accountant.

Other areas

The rest of the practice.

All practice areas