JDS Lawyers
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Brisbane Wills

Wills Brisbane

 

Brisbane Wills & Estate Planning

 

JDS LAWYERS providES practical, realistic and cost effective WILLS AND ESTATE PLANNING IN BRISBANE

If you want to make a Will, or you want to undertake and implement a comprehensive estate planning strategy, then the good news is that sourcing a Brisbane estate lawyer is easier than you might think.

JDS Lawyers are a boutique law firm with offices based in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. We recognise that our success is dependent upon our ability to meet the needs of our clients in a timely, efficient and professional manner - and that includes Brisbane estate legal services. Our goal is always to achieve realistic, cost-effective and practical solutions for our clients.

For a no obligation quote or to chat about how JDS Lawyers can assist with your estate planning, complete the form below or give John a call on (07) 3392 2000

As the founder of JDS Lawyers, John Drakos has over 30 years experience operating within the legal industry. Throughout his career, John has worked across many specialised areas of law, including commercial litigation and even criminal law. As they somewhat “cross over”, John now specialises in Wills and estate planning (including estate disputes and estate administration), property and commercial law. John’s experience in the legal industry allows him to anticipate legal issues in advance, and to plan strategies to address any concerns that arise. He is renowned in the Queensland legal industry for his meticulous work ethic, and often is at his best under very tight timeframes on both small and large scale transactions. If you are on the hunt for a Brisbane based estate lawyer, John is regarded as one of the very best. 

What does a Brisbane Wills and Estate Lawyer Cover?

A Will is a legal document that outlines your wishes regarding the distribution of your assets and property after your death. If you do not have a valid Will in place at the time of your death, your estate will be distributed in accordance with the laws of intestacy. This means you will not have a say in how you wish your assets to be disbursed after you die.

An estate plan does not need be complex. Usually, estate plans are relatively straight forward and may involve:

In addition, an estate plan can be expanded to include and address matters such as:

  • Assets held in a joint tenancy (eg joint bank accounts, shares held jointly and real property). These assets are not covered by a Will

  • Self-managed superannuation funds: (Who will control the fund when you die? What about death benefit nominations? Do you need a death benefit guardian? What about the impacts of blended families?)

  • Discretionary/family trusts: (Who will control the trust when you die? What about any unpaid loans and unpaid present entitlements?)

  • Company structures and company assets

  • Business succession; partnership agreements; shareholder agreements; buy-in/buy-out options; unit holder agreements; and business life insurance

  • Inheritance succession for blended families

  • Risk management recommendations and strategies to protect assets from potential disputes

Even if you have a Will or an estate plan in place, beneficiaries, or even other individuals, can still dispute the terms of your Will if they feel there is any reason to question the contents, terms or validity of the document, which is when Will disputes can arise.

When a Will is challenged, it is usually due to one or more of the following reasons:

  • Doubts concerning the Willmaker’s mental capacity at the time the Will was signed

  • Concerns over whether the Willmaker freely and voluntarily signed their Will

  • Beneficiaries feeling aggrieved by entitlements made or not made under the Will

  • Concerns over the meaning and effect of the drafting of the Will

  • Promises made by the Willmaker during their lifetime which are not reflected in the Will

  • Concerns whether a document made electronically by a Willmaker, and which purports to be a last Will, is in fact a valid Will

If you are planning ahead regarding the future of your financial assets, it is always worth speaking to the professionals. To get started with estate planning or Will disputes, why not contact John and the team at JDS Lawyers today.