Estate Planning Services

Estate planning is a lot more than ensure your will is up to date. Effective estate planning ensures a streamlined transition and administration of wealth or assets held across family trusts, companies, business enterprises and super funds, in the most tax effective manner.

Whether you operate with a simplistic structure, a wide range of interrelated entities, we provide a proven estate planning process that delivers confidence of outcome, tax effectiveness and financial efficiency.

Will preparation and powers of attorney are crucial components of estate planning. With a will, there is no clear direction towards an individual’s wishes regarding the distribution of their assets after their death. Done correctly, a will allows individuals to specify beneficiaries, appoint an executor to manage an estate, and address other important matters, such as guardianship of minor children.

Powers of attorney grant authority to someone to act on behalf of another person in financial, legal, or healthcare matters, either immediately or in the event of incapacitation. These powers can ensure that decisions are made according to the individual’s preferences, even if they are unable to express them personally.

Together, wills and powers of attorney provide individuals with the necessary tools to ensure their wishes are respected and their affairs are managed effectively during their lifetime and after their passing.

Minimizing capital gains tax is an essential aspect of estate planning as it can have significant financial implications for beneficiaries and the overall value of the estate. Capital gains tax is levied on the profits made from the sale or transfer of assets, such as real estate, stocks, or valuable possessions. By carefully strategizing and structuring the estate plan, individuals can minimize the taxable capital gains incurred by their beneficiaries upon receiving the assets. This can be achieved through various techniques, such as gifting assets during one’s lifetime, utilizing tax-efficient investment strategies, or taking advantage of tax exemptions and deductions. By reducing capital gains tax liabilities, estate planners can maximize the value of the estate and ensure that a larger portion of the assets is preserved for future generations or intended beneficiaries.

Passing on a family business requires careful consideration and planning within the context of estate planning. It involves ensuring a smooth transition of ownership, management, and control while minimizing potential disruptions and tax burdens. Key steps include identifying a suitable successor, whether within the family or outside, and providing them with the necessary training and experience. Estate planning for a family business may involve creating a comprehensive succession plan that outlines how ownership and management responsibilities will be transferred, addressing any potential conflicts among family members and establishing mechanisms for dispute resolution. Additionally, strategies such as creating a trust or utilizing tax-efficient structures can help minimize estate and gift taxes. By incorporating the family business into the estate plan, individuals can preserve its legacy, secure its future viability, and ensure a seamless transfer of assets and responsibilities to the next generation.

Estate planning can play a crucial role in facilitating charitable donations by individuals. It allows individuals to incorporate their philanthropic goals and desires into their overall plan, ensuring that their charitable intentions are fulfilled even after their passing. Through estate planning, individuals can designate specific assets or a portion of their estate to be donated to charitable organizations or establish charitable trusts or foundations to support causes they care about. Additionally, estate planning techniques such as charitable remainder trusts or charitable lead trusts can provide individuals with tax benefits while enabling them to support charitable organizations during their lifetime or upon their death. By integrating charitable giving into their estate plan, individuals can leave a lasting impact on their communities and causes, while also potentially reducing their estate tax liabilities

Estate planning serves as a powerful tool for asset protection, safeguarding one’s wealth and property from potential risks and liabilities. By employing various legal instruments and strategies, individuals can structure their assets in a way that shields them from potential creditors, lawsuits, and other unforeseen circumstances. Trusts, such as irrevocable trusts, can provide a level of protection by transferring ownership and control of assets to a separate legal entity. This separation can help shield the assets from personal liabilities, divorce proceedings, and potential claims. Additionally, estate planning can involve utilizing entities like limited liability companies (LLCs) or family limited partnerships (FLPs) to create a barrier between personal assets and business or investment activities, reducing exposure to legal claims. Overall, estate planning can provide individuals with peace of mind, knowing that their hard-earned assets are protected and preserved for themselves and future generations.

Testamentary trusts are an important consideration within estate planning as they allow individuals to exert control over the distribution and management of their assets even after their passing. These trusts are established through a will and come into effect upon the individual’s death. Testamentary trusts can serve various purposes, such as providing ongoing financial support to beneficiaries, protecting assets from potential creditors, or ensuring that assets are managed responsibly on behalf of minor children or beneficiaries who may lack the ability to manage the assets themselves. By including testamentary trusts in their estate plans, individuals can customize the terms and conditions of the trust to align with their specific goals and wishes. This provides flexibility and protection in managing their assets and can help ensure that their intentions are carried out in a structured and controlled manner for the benefit of their loved ones.

Our experienced team plays a valuable role in providing beneficiary advice as part of our estate planning service. Beneficiary advice involves guiding individuals in making informed decisions regarding the distribution of their assets to their intended beneficiaries. By analysing the financial and tax implications of different beneficiary designations, we assist individuals with understanding the potential consequences and benefits associated with distribution choices. We can assist with matters such as minimizing tax liabilities for beneficiaries, structuring distributions to align with beneficiaries’ financial needs and goals, and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

We offer comprehensive estate planning services that encompass Self-Managed Superannuation Fund (SMSF) advice. We recognise the importance of SMSFs in estate planning, and the control the fund provides over retirement savings and the ability to distribute accumulated wealth.

Our team provides guidance on structuring SMSFs, ensuring appropriate investment strategies, reviewing trust deeds, and addressing beneficiary nominations to align with the client’s estate planning goals. By integrating SMSF advice into our comprehensive estate planning service, we empower our clients to effectively manage their retirement savings and ensure a seamless transfer of wealth to their chosen beneficiaries in accordance with their wishes.

Our estate planning process begins with a free, no obligation discovery call

For over 25 years, our business has been built on the strength of relationships. So before we get to know your wishes for your estate, it’s important we get to know who you are as an individual.

Complete our discovery call form with your contact details, and one of our estate planning team will be in contact to arrange a time for your discovery call.

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Similar services for individuals

Self Managed Superannuation

  • SMS establishment
  • Compliance management
  • SMSF tax strategies
  • SMSF investment strategies
  • Retirement health checks

Tax Returns

  • Investment property tax returns
  • Deceased estate tax returns
  • SMSF tax returns
  • Individual tax returns

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Our team

We believe in a relationship-based approach to doing business

Our 25 years of successful business has been built on a relationships first approach to our clients. Until we know your story, we don’t need to know your numbers.