Wills, Estate Planning and Deceased Estates

Planning for the future can provide certainty for you and your family. At Dakin Law, our wills and estates solicitors assist clients with wills, estate planning, probate, deceased estates, enduring powers of attorney and enduring guardianship documents.

Based in Ballina, NSW, we assist clients throughout Ballina and the Northern Rivers, including Byron Bay, Lismore, Lennox Head, Alstonville and surrounding areas.

Whether you are making a will for the first time, updating an existing will, planning for a future loss of capacity or administering the estate of a loved one, our solicitors can provide practical legal advice tailored to your circumstances.

Wills and Estate Planning

A properly prepared will is an important part of your estate plan. Your will allows you to set out how you wish your assets to be dealt with after your death and who you wish to appoint to administer your estate.

Our wills solicitors can assist with:

• Preparing a new will

• Reviewing and updating an existing will

• Estate planning

• Appointing executors

• Specific gifts and bequests

• Testamentary trusts

• Providing for children and other beneficiaries

• Complex family and asset structures

• Advice about jointly owned assets and other property

• Reviewing your overall estate planning arrangements

Your circumstances may change over time. Marriage, separation, divorce, the birth of children or grandchildren, changes in assets or changes in family circumstances may mean your will and estate plan should be reviewed.

Estate Planning

Estate planning involves more than simply preparing a will. Depending on your circumstances, an appropriate estate plan may also include an Enduring Power of Attorney and an Enduring Guardian appointment.

Our estate planning solicitors can help you consider how your affairs should be managed both during your lifetime and after your death.

We can discuss your circumstances and prepare the appropriate legal documents to give effect to your wishes.

Enduring Power of Attorney

An Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) allows you to appoint another person or people to make financial and legal decisions on your behalf in accordance with the authority given to them.

An Enduring Power of Attorney can be an important part of an estate plan, particularly where you want to ensure that someone you trust can assist with your financial and legal affairs if you become unable to manage them yourself.

Our Enduring Power of Attorney solicitors in Ballina can assist with:

• Preparing an Enduring Power of Attorney

• Explaining the powers and responsibilities involved

• Appointing one or more attorneys

• Reviewing an existing power of attorney

• Updating estate planning documents as circumstances change

It is important to obtain legal advice about who you appoint and the powers you give them.

Enduring Guardian

An Enduring Guardian appointment is different from an Enduring Power of Attorney.

An Enduring Guardian relates to certain health and lifestyle decisions if you are unable to make those decisions yourself. Your appointed enduring guardian can make decisions within the authority you give them, subject to the applicable NSW legislation.

Our solicitors can assist with:

• Preparing an Enduring Guardian appointment

• Explaining the role and responsibilities of an enduring guardian

• Appointing an enduring guardian

• Reviewing an existing appointment

• Coordinating your Enduring Guardian and Enduring Power of Attorney documents as part of your broader estate plan

Probate and Deceased Estates

When someone dies, their estate may need to be administered before assets can be distributed to beneficiaries.

Our probate solicitors and deceased estate lawyers can assist executors and administrators with the legal process involved in administering an estate.

We can assist with:

• Applying for Probate

• Probate applications in NSW

• Letters of Administration

• Estate administration

• Identifying and dealing with estate assets

• Collecting and realising estate assets

• Paying debts and liabilities

• Distributing assets to beneficiaries

• Correspondence with financial institutions and other organisations

• Dealing with property forming part of a deceased estate

• Advice to executors and administrators

• Estate disputes and claims where appropriate

If you have been appointed as an executor of an estate, we can advise you about your responsibilities and assist you through the estate administration process.

Deceased Estate Solicitors in Ballina

Administering a deceased estate can be complicated, particularly where there are multiple beneficiaries, significant assets, property, businesses or family issues involved.

Our deceased estate solicitors in Ballina can assist you to understand the legal process and work through the administration of the estate.

We can also assist where there are questions about the validity or interpretation of a will, or where a dispute arises in relation to an estate.

Wills, Estates & Estate Planning in the Northern Rivers

Dakin Law is a local wills and estates law firm in Ballina, assisting clients throughout the Northern Rivers and NSW.

We assist clients in Ballina, Byron Bay, Lismore, Lennox Head, Alstonville and surrounding areas with wills, estate planning, probate, deceased estates, Enduring Powers of Attorney and Enduring Guardian appointments.

Our office is located in Ballina, and many appointments and documents can also be dealt with electronically where appropriate.

Contact Dakin Law

If you need to make or update a will, prepare an Enduring Power of Attorney, appoint an Enduring Guardian, apply for probate or administer a deceased estate, contact Dakin Law to discuss your circumstances.

Dakin Law – Wills, Estates & Estate Planning Solicitors in Ballina and the Northern Rivers.