abCredo Legal

Wills & Estates

Plans Built. Wishes Enforced
Legacy Protected

Everything you have built — the business, the property, the investments, the savings — eventually passes to someone else. How it passes, when, and to whom is either a decision you make deliberately or one made for you by default.

Intestacy rules and family provision legislation start with what you documented. But where those documents are flawed, ambiguous, or fail to provide fairly for your dependents, the Court will look beyond the page — at what you intended and what your obligations required.

A will that is poorly drafted, out of date, or disconnected from the way your assets are actually held is not a plan — it is a dispute waiting to happen.

abCredo Legal's Wills & Estates practice makes sure your wishes are clear, your documents are enforceable, and your estate plan works the way you intend.

Wills That Hold

A will is only as strong as its drafting. Trust assets, jointly held property, and superannuation death benefits directed by a binding nomination can all bypass the will entirely — sending wealth somewhere you never intended.

We draft wills that account for the full picture — not just what you own, but how you own it. That means coordinating your will with trusts, super nominations, company structures, and jointly held assets.

We build in testamentary trusts where they serve a purpose and structure appointments so control stays where you put it. When your circumstances change, we update your plan to match.

Powers of Attorney and Incapacity Planning

If you lose capacity while you are still alive, someone needs to make your decisions — financial, medical, living arrangements. Without a valid power of attorney and an advance care directive, those choices fall to a tribunal — not to the person you would have chosen.

We prepare enduring powers of attorney, guardianship appointments, and advance care directives that give you control over who acts and how — with safeguards to prevent misuse.

For families with complex assets or business interests, we coordinate incapacity planning with your broader estate and succession framework.

Estate Administration and Probate

Administering an estate is demanding and carries personal liability for the executor. Debts must be identified, assets collected, tax obligations met, and distributions made — all within a framework that penalises mistakes.

We guide executors through every stage — from the initial probate application through to final distribution — so nothing is missed and personal liability is contained. Where disputes arise or a family provision claim is threatened, we act early to protect the estate before costs escalate.

Plans Built. Wishes Enforced. Legacy Protected

Contesting and Defending a Will

Family provision claims are common, emotionally charged, and costly if mishandled. We assess the strength of a claim — or a defence — with directness. We call it straight: Strong claims, we pursue hard. Weak ones, we tell you before you spend money to find that out in court.

Succession for Business Owners

If you own a business, your estate plan and your succession plan are the same problem. A death or incapacity that is not planned for can freeze the business, trigger buy-sell obligations, or hand control to someone who was never meant to have it. We align shareholder agreements, buy-sell arrangements, trust structures, and key-person provisions so the business continues and value is preserved for the people you choose.

When an Estate Plan Reaches Past the Law

A serious estate plan almost always touches tax, wealth, and business strategy. Testamentary trust structures carry tax consequences for decades. Business successions trigger capital gains tax (CGT) exposure. Superannuation death benefits — often the largest single asset — sit outside the will entirely.

abCredo Legal sits alongside abCredo Advisory and abCredo Wealth. When an estate matter crosses into tax, financial planning, or corporate advisory territory, we bring the relevant expertise to the same table. One firm. One view. No loose ends. This happens only when it adds direct value, and only with your prior approval.

Built once. Built to last