Estate Planning

Estate planning is all about planning for your future and the future generations of your family.

It involves planning for what happens upon your passing with a Will and planning for incapacity with Enduring Power of Attorney and Appointment of Enduring Guardian documents.

Wills

Standard Wills:

• $440 for individuals

• $680 for couples ($200 discount)

Additional cost for:

• Complex Wills

• Blended family strategies

• Testamentary Discretionary Trusts

If you think about it, taking the time and spending the money to create a legally enforceable, well drafted Will is entirely selfless because has no direct benefit to you but it ensures that your loved ones are looked after upon your death.

Your Will is the vehicle you create to ensure that your assets and property pass as seamlessly as possible to your loved ones when you are no longer here to oversee the transaction. But a Will is so much more than this! With your Will, you appoint an executor to become your legal personal representative when you pass. Your executor has an important job of looking after your beneficiary’s interest in your estate.

Your executor also makes decisions about what happens to your body after you die and your funeral, secure your assets and keep them insured, pay your liabilities, get Probate on your Will from Supreme Court NSW (if required), distribute your estate in accordance with your Will, defend any claims against your estate so on. Another important aspect of a Will is appointing a guardian of your minor children.

Avid Law has the experience and knowledge to ensure that your testamentary wishes are correctly documented. A small investment now can save your loved ones a great deal of trouble when you pass and ensure that your estate does not bear the costs of sorting things out later. This means that your beneficiaries get the maximum benefit of your gifts to them.

Enduring Power of Attorney

• $330 for individuals

• $460 for couples ($200 discount)

An Enduring Power of Attorney document gives the person you appoint the legal authority to make decisions on your behalf concerning your legal and financial affairs.

An Enduring Power of Attorney is an essential tool in your estate planning arsenal because it ensures that you have certainty over who will look after your legal and financial affairs on your behalf if you lose legal capacity and can no longer make these decisions for yourself.

Having your Enduring Power of Attorney drafted properly is crucial to ensure that your chosen attorney has the authority to look after you when you are at your most vulnerable.

Avid Law has the skill and experience to ensure that your Enduring Power of Attorney correctly enacts your wishes.

Appointment of Enduring Guardians

• $330 for individuals

• $460 for couples ($200 discount)

An Appointment of Enduring Guardian is a document that allows you to appoint the person or persons you trust to look after your health and lifestyle decisions on your behalf if you lose legal capacity and can no longer make these decisions for yourself.

Your guardian is legally empowered by you to make decision around things like:

• Consenting to medical and dental treatment on your behalf.

• Deciding where you will live.

• Deciding what kinds of personal services you will receive.

• Refusing consent to medical treatment on your behalf in certain instances (e.g blood transfusions, during final stages of palliative care).

This document dovetails with your Enduring Power of Attorney to ensure that all your needs are looked after by the people you trust most to make these crucial decisions on your behalf when you are at your most vulnerable.

Estate Planning Essentials Packages

• $950 for individuals ($150 discount)

• $1550 for couples ($650 discount)

Create all three essential estate planning documents at a reduced price, including a standard Will, Enduring Power of Attorney, and Appointment of Enduring Guardian.

Not sure which documents you need?

Often people have questions about what is best for their unique personal circumstances. Feel free to book in and at the appointment we will explore all your questions and concerns and provide legal advice.

How we work

We will book you in for an initial consultation where Naomi will take your instructions and provide personalised legal advice.

Most of the time we meet with you in our office however, if necessary, we can meet you wherever you are on the Central Coast at home, hospital, or nursing home. We charge an additional $120 to provide this flexible service.

We then prepare your documents and email them to you to make sure you are happy with them. Sometimes our initial appointment raises questions that people want to think about. Other times people come to the appointment knowing what they want. Either way we email back and forth with you the draft documents until they are ready to be signed.

When you are 100% satisfied and confident with your documents, we will book you in for a signing appointment. At this appointment you will execute your documents.

If you have an Enduring Power of Attorney or Appointment of Enduring Guardian, we will then get in touch with your appointees to meet with them, explain the documents to them, and have them accept their appointment.

When the documents are finalised, we will provide a copy to you, and keep originals in our safe custody at no extra cost.

Our goal throughout this process is for you to feel confident and satisfied that your documents represent your wishes. If you have any questions along the way, we are here and happy to help.

We can travel to you

Sometimes circumstances mean that you are not able to travel to us. We can visit you in hospital or in care at an additional fee. Usually we will complete two trips, one to take your instructions, and one for you to sign the completed documents.

• $120 per visit within 20km of our office (including Wyong and Gosford Hospitals)

• $10 per km after 20km

You can phone us to book in a visit at your location, or use the Book Online button and select request meeting at your location.