Estate planning is different for everyone, especially in today’s modern environment of more blended families. It involves developing a strategy to deal with your assets and investments when you pass away.

However, done properly a robust estate plan will protect your assets and ensure your wealth is transferred smoothly, tax effectively and according to your wishes.

Planning for our own demise is not the most exciting task to consider. That's probably why so many people bury their head in the sand and neglect this critical piece of future planning.

But the aim is to provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones, ensuring that your assets are passed on to your beneficiaries in the most simple and effective way and in accordance with your wishes.

Not having an up to date estate plan can mean you unnecessarily leave your family and loved ones a mess at best, and at worst, chaos.

Do you realise not having the correct documentation risks your wealth falling into the wrong hands, incur tax liabilities and unnecessary legal bills.

And things get even more complicated if you have a blended family as so many of us do today.

We've found many individuals tend to focus on the aspects of finances that affect them during their lifetime and procrastinate about making decisions for their estate. However, failing to put an effective estate plan in place can be costly to your beneficiaries and cause friction if some feel they were unfairly disinherited by your inaction.

Why not make appointments with our estate planning team, and make sure that your estate plan is customised to suit your needs and those of your beneficiaries.

Click here now and we'll get in touch with you and organise the next steps.

By the way...estate planning is not only for when you eventually pass away, it also covers you if you lose your mental or physical capacity.

You can't assume your assets will end up in the right hands. They may not necessarily automatically go to your spouse or children.

In fact there are a number of assets which may not automatically form part of your estate at all. Things such as:

• Joint Assets
• Assets held in trusts or companies
• Superannuation
• Life insurance policies

When reviewing your estate planning, some of the questions we will ask you are: 

• Do you own assets held in a company or trust structure?
• Are you a director of a company or a partner in a partnership?
• Is your will up to date?
• Do you have enduring powers of attorney?
• Do you have adequate life insurance?
• Do you have any superannuation death benefit nominations in place?
• Do you own assets jointly with somebody else?
• Do you have dependants with special needs, minor children, step children or adopted children
• Do you have a former spouse?

Please click here now and organise an estate planning consultation with us so we can review or update your estate plan.