In the old days it was possible to appoint another person to act on your behalf, either in your absence or upon your direction, in relation to commercial transactions. The problem with the old law, which permitted a person to give a Power of Attorney to someone else, was that the authority of the Power [...]

This article was published by Rachel Nickless in the Australian Financial Review on 28 January 2012. Forget that pre-nup.  If you have signed an agreement to determine who gets what after a relationship breaks down, you may find it worthless.  And should you be about to ring-fence your assets from your partner-to-be, you might struggle [...]

Last week one of my clients approached me.  His concern was that his elderly mother was going to pass away one day.  She had a significant estate and all of her assets were invested in her superannuation fund and his question was “What happens to her superannuation money when she passes away and what will [...]

Even with the spectacular advances by medical science over recent decades, we human beings are susceptible to the passage of time and the effects of events beyond our control. Ultimately, we will all move on to the next world. I think it fair to say that Australians are amongst the most pressured and hard working [...]

The majority of people give little thought to what happens after they have passed. However, it is important to be aware of what may follow during the days after your death. If you have a valid will… The person you appoint in your will as executor of your estate has the discretion as to how [...]

Do you know the answer to this question? A large number of people don’t, even though it is essential to know the answer in the context of your overall deceased estate planning. If you have worked in Australia you should have a superannuation account, in which case the below article is relevant to you. Most [...]