Life + Legacy
Plan well. Protect what matters.
Estate planning and administration services for those living life locally or globally. We support individuals, families, and business owners with strategic advice and compassionate service to protect your life’s work and secure a legacy that endures for generations.
Our Life + Legacy services are available to clients in Queensland for non-contested matters. If litigation issues arise, we can refer you to one of our trusted estate litigation specialists.
Estate planning services
Practical, tailored support to help you plan for the future and document your wishes with clarity and confidence. We help you protect your family, structure your affairs, and create estate arrangements that reflect your intentions. From simple wills and powers of attorney to complex testamentary discretionary trusts and succession strategies, we've got you covered.
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Wills + Testamentary Documents
Clear and tailored documents that protect your wishes and provide certainty for your family
• Simple wills for individuals or couples
• Testamentary discretionary trust wills for asset protection, tax considerations, and vulnerable beneficiaries
• Codicils and amendments
• Enduring Power of Attorney
• Advance Health Directive
• Letters of wishes
• Superannuation binding death benefit nominations and insurance beneficiary arrangements -
Cross-Border + International Estates
Support for clients with overseas assets, beneficiaries living overseas, expats, and globally mobile families
• International estate planning considerations
• Reviewing existing estate plans for expats and returning residents
• Planning for beneficiaries who live overseas
• Guidance on capacity, residency, enforceability, and practical cross-border risks
• Coordinating with foreign legal, tax, and financial advisers -
Special Circumstances + Other Services
Support for modern families and unique personal circumstances
• Planning for blended families, former partners, stepchildren, and estranged relatives
• Strategies for excluding beneficiaries and reducing contestability risk
• Planning for vulnerable beneficiaries or those unable to manage their inheritance
• Succession planning for small businesses and family enterprises
• Annual legal health check of your estate and succession documents
• Coordination with financial planning, accounting, and other professional advisers
Our estate planning process
Estate planning is a strategic and personal process unique to every client. Our process ensures that we can assist you with the solutions you need to give you clarity and confidence.
1. Discovery call
Contact us to book an appointment for a free 15 minute discovery call to discuss which estate planning service may be most suitable to you.
2. Costs agreement + gather information
We will provide you our client disclosure and costs agreement for you to sign and return to us. We’ll then ask you to complete a confidential questionnaire to give us all the information we need for completing next steps.
3. Strategy meeting + recommendations
At this meeting we willl review your information, discuss your goals and concerns, and then explain some strategic options and our recommendations.
The cost for this meeting is $275 excluding GST (max 90 mins). Payment is due at end of this meeting. If you proceed, this amount is credited towards your final cost.
4. Considerations + your instructions
The strategy meeting will leave you with much to think about. Once you’ve decided on your strategy, you will give us your instructions for us to complete your estate planning documents.
5. Create + review
We will prepare your bespoke estate planning documents. We will then send you drafts for your review where you can ask further questions or request changes. Once we have your approval, we’ll finalise your documents. Final payment is due on delivery of our final drafts to you.
6. Signing + handover
We will organise a final meeting with you to sign your documents and then handover your bespoke “Legacy Binder” containing your complete estate plan. We also give you our recommendations for ensuring its safe keeping and scheduling regular reviews to keep it updated. No fee (max 30 minute meeting).
Our estate planning fees
We offer competitive fixed-fee options for our planning services, payable at various stages during the process. The table below summarises our usual estate planning services and associated fees. You can choose a package, select individual services, or add-on to any package. All our prices exclude GST.
| Estate Planning Packages - at a Glance | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentials | Advantage | Comprehensive | |
| Suitable for | <$250K assets; simple estates | <$500K assets; health + financial planning | >$500K assets or minor children; generational planning |
| Strategy meeting | 60 mins | 90 mins | 90 mins |
| Will type | Simple Will | Simple Will | Testamentary trust Will |
| Advanced Health Directive (AHD) | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Nominations (super & insurance) | Guidance | Guidance | Prepared for signing |
| Letter of Wishes | - | Template | Drafting support |
| Review meeting | - | 30 mins | 60 mins |
| Signing meeting | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Legacy Binder | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Coordination with advisors | - | - | ✓ |
| Individual Price | $1,100 | $1,500 | From $3,200 |
| Couple Price | $1,650 | $1,950 | From $4,800 |
| Optional Extras | Individual | Couple |
|---|---|---|
| These fees apply in addition to any package unless purchased as standalone services. | ||
| Advanced Health Directive (AHD) | From $350 | From $500 |
| Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) | From $350 | From $500 |
| Annual legal health check | From $350 | From $800 |
| Expat / returning resident estate review | From $550 | |
| Codicil (minor will amendments only) | From $550 | |
| International will & certificate | From $2,000 | From $3,200 |
| Additional advice (complex estates) | $425/hr (15-minute increments) | |
| Urgent requests, weekend/evening appointments | +15% fee supplement | |
Frequently asked questions about estate planning
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An EPOA lets you appoint someone (called an “Attorney”) to make financial, personal, and health decisions if you lose capacity.
An AHD records your medical treatment choices in advance, including end-of-life decisions, and must be completed with your doctor and then certified by your lawyer. If a decision is clearly addressed in your AHD, it overrides your attorney’s authority in your EPOA.
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Yes. Nominations only cover those specific assets. Importantly, your superannuation trustee is not obligated to follow your will regarding any decisions regarding distribution of your superannuation, so it’s critically important to have a binding death benefit nomination prepared and filed with your superannuation fund. Your will deals with everything else, for example, property, bank accounts, personal items, digital assets, and guardianship. It’s the only document that creates a full legal roadmap for your estate.
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A testamentary trust is helpful if you have minor children, blended family considerations, vulnerable beneficiaries, or assets over ~$500K. It can provide tax advantages and strong asset protection for your heirs, and personal confidence that your assets and legacy will endure as you intended.
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You may need an international Will if you live in one country but hold assets or have legal ties (residency, domicile, citizenship) in another. It reduces the risk of conflicting laws and simplifies probate in multiple jurisdictions.
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Most clients complete their plan within 2–4 weeks, depending on complexity and responsiveness. Emergency or priority matters can often be accommodated sooner (subject to our availability).
Estate administration services
Compassionate, practical support for executors, attorneys, and families after someone passes away. We guide you through the legal, practical, and administrative steps with clarity and care. Our services focus on non-contested estate administration in Queensland.
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Administration Advisory
Guidance to help you understand your role and make confident decisions
• Executor duties, risks, and responsibilities
• Advising beneficiaries on their rights in non-contested estates
• Managing expectations and communication among family members
• Post-estate family governance and transition planning -
Administration Services
Support with the key steps required to administer an estate
• Probate applications (where there is a will or informal will)
• Letters of Administration (intestacy or where an executor cannot act)
• Resealing foreign grants of probate from overseas jurisdictions
• Assisting executors with practical administration and decision-making
• Acting as an independent executor or administrator where appointed -
Testamentary Trust Establishment + Oversight
Ongoing support for testamentary trusts created by a will
• Establishment and legal documentation
• Advising trustees on duties and compliance obligations
• Ongoing legal support for trust administration
• Trust deed variations or restructuring relating to estate outcomes
Our estate administration process
Estate administration is a sensitive and often complex process, unique to every family and every estate. Our services are designed to guide you with clarity, compassion, and confidence at each step.
1. Discovery call
Contact us to book an appointment for a free 15 minute discovery call to discuss which estate planning service may be most suitable to you.
2. Costs agreement + gather information
We will provide you our client disclosure and costs agreement for you to sign and return to us. We’ll then ask you to complete a confidential questionnaire to give us all the information we need for completing next steps.
3. Strategy + recommendations
At this meeting we will review your information, including any will, estimate the estate’s value (if applicable), explain next steps, and discuss your options and any concerns.
The cost for this meeting is $275 excluding GST (max 90 mins). Payment is due at end of this meeting. If you proceed, this amount is credited towards your final cost.
4. Court applications
We will prepare and file the necessary documents in the Queensland Supreme Court for a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration. We will also assist in trust establishment or governance, if required. We will submit regular invoicing to you (as agreed) throughout the administration process.
6. Asset distribution + handover
We will assist in ensuring all final matters are settled before the estate is formally closed, including providing final trustee/ executor guidance and handover of any final documents. Final payment is due on delivery of our closing letter and final invoice to you.
Our estate administration fees
We offer competitive fixed-fee options for our administration services, payable at various stages during the process. Our fees will be unique to each client, each estate, and will depend on your specific requirements.
Please contact us to discuss and receive a tailored fee quote. If the engagement cannot be specifically quoted without further information or assessment, we will send you our Estate Administration services flyer outlining our indicative fees for your consideration.
Frequently asked questions about estate administration
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Start with a discovery call by booking an appointment with us. We’ll guide you through the immediate steps, such as securing the home, locating the will, confirming assets, and understanding time-sensitive obligations.
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Not always. Probate is usually required if the estate holds real property, significant bank accounts, shares, or if institutions insist on a court grant. Smaller estates may be released without it. We’ll advise you based on the assets and requirements.
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Simple estates can be finalised in 3–6 months. More complex estates that include things like property sales, overseas assets, trust establishment, or tax issues often take 6–12 months or longer. We’ll support you at each stage so nothing is missed.
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If there’s no will, the estate is distributed under Queensland intestacy laws. We can assist with applying for Letters of Administration, identifying next of kin, gathering evidence, and managing the distribution process.
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Yes. We can assist you with resealing foreign grants of probate, working with banks and registries overseas, and managing cross-border estates (especially Australia ⇄ Canada). This ensures an overseas executor can lawfully deal with assets held in Australia.