Wills & Estate Planning Law - Canberra Lawyers

We help clients create, grow, protect and pass on their wealth. Our team specialises in developing and putting solutions in place to achieve your objectives in a tax-effective manner.

2020 AUSTRALASIAN LAW AWARDS WINNER

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Testimonials

I would like to thank Keziah Holdsworth and the personal injury team at Chamberlains Law Firm for achieving a successful outcome on my claim.

As a young child I was placed at Stubbs Terrace Hospital in Perth for care, treatment and protection. Whilst there, my trust and innocence was violated and I was subjected to horrific abuse which significantly impacted my life forever.

The trauma of the abuse affected my personal, family and working life and the ability to achieve the things I wanted to achieve in life. I would not have been able to navigate the stress of the legal process without Keziah’s understanding, empathy and support.

Chamberlains believed in me and fought for me which resulted in a settlement that will help to set myself and my family up for the future.  I would recommend Chamberlains to anyone seeking justice for institutional child sexual abuse.

Abuse Compensation Client

Please pass on my thanks and gratitude to everyone who worked on this case for me. I appreciate all that has been done and especially that l was believed and always treated with kindness and understanding. Everyone l interacted with made a very stressful time much easier to deal with. l felt quite weak, vulnerable and fragile at the beginning of this process but as we went along l became stronger and more determined to see it through. This was due to counselling l received but mostly due to the way l was supported by all of the people involved in the legal team acting for me.

The monetary amount l will receive will be life changing for myself and my family, but speaking out and being believed by so many people means everything and l am confident l will be able finally begin to put this ugly chapter of my life behind me. Please pass this on to all involved. The work you all do is life changing for someone like me.

Injury & Compensation Client

Thank you Isabella. Really appreciated your help over this period, I learned a lot and found it very interesting. You had a very clear and professional approach throughout. Especially over the Christmas lead up.

Workplace Law Client

Many thanks to Mohamad for finalising the estate of my late brother and mother. I appreciate your professionalism, knowledge, and patience. Having lost both my mother and brother within 4 months of each other I felt overwhelmed with the legal processes that followed.

Not only did you explain and help me with the practical processes involved with selling a deceased estate; you outlined things from a layman’s perspective that made the whole process easier to understand.

I am very fortunate to have had you as my legal guide and companion navigating this legal and emotional minefield.

Estate Administration Client

I have had a hard time with an ex-employee lasting over 5 years, with the help from Antonia it was resolved within a month! I can’t express the amount of gratitude I have after this quick and efficient resolution.

Antonia went above and beyond for me along with her colleague Isabella, they both kept me in the loop every step of the way and I felt completely comfortable leaving it in their hands.

Workplace Law Client

Rufus and Jon assisted my mother in settling her claim. I want to say a big thank you to them both for all their work on settling mum’s claim. The settlement was conducted in such a calm manner and relieved a lot of mum’s anxiety, so I just wanted to pass on my appreciation for all of their support and guidance throughout this process.

Thank you Rufus and Jon for everything you have done and for achieving a great outcome for mum.

Personal Injury Client

Keziah made me feel like she was invested and concerned in my matter, going above and beyond to address issues I didn’t even know I could be helped with. The year leading up to my claim had brought me to breaking point, but Keziah motivated and inspired me to fight for my rights. Thanks to her I feel like there is some hope for justice, and that I might live my life in the future.

Personal Injury Client

Alison recently acted for me with respect to a complex personal injury matter resulting from prolonged sexual harassment within the workplace. She understood the impact of these events on my life from the outset, in some ways before I had even fully understood. Her clarity allowed me to focus on my treatment while she pursued legal action on my behalf.

I never felt judged by Alison or her team. I felt heard and cared for. She believed in me when I doubted myself and reassured me when I felt I was not strong enough to keep on fighting.

Personal Injury Client

I engaged Chamberlains Law Firm on the recommendation of my financial planner. Antonia Tahhan was professional, responsive and completed the advise on budget/ on time but more importantly provided clear legal advise and then followed this with a phone call explaining the advise. I have no hesitation recommending Chamberlains Law as your legal representatives.

Workplace Law Client

There are not enough stars for me to rate Jasmin Mantoufeh and Chamberlains Law Firm! Jasmin went above and beyond for me and I am so grateful to have her in my corner! From our first meeting, Jasmin took carriage of my case and her personal attention to me was amazing. I will most certainly refer and if I ever need a lawyer again, Jasmin is the person I will call!

Workplace Law Client

I cannot thank you enough for your professional and empathetic approach making it as smooth and seamless as possible during the mediation. You have all dealt with my ups and downs during the process and the level of detail, care and kindness from you all is appreciated more than I can express.

Family Law Client

You have given me the chance of a fresh start that I didn’t think I’d ever have again to be honest. You literally changed my life and I’ll never be able to thank you enough. Just wanted to let you know how much I sincerely appreciate all your help and hard work.

Compensation Client

We picked the most highly specialised and talented lawyers.

At Chamberlains we operate one of the leading Wills and Estates practices with nationally-recognised experts available to provide advice.

We work collaboratively with accountants and financial advisers to ensure clients are provided with holistic and collaborative advice.

We provide pragmatic legal solutions that mitigate tax liabilities, maximise asset protection, and resolve succession issues. Contact our team to discuss our custom estate plans.

Process - what happens next?

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Initial case evaluation

After an initial briefing of your matter, we will provide you with a preliminary quote.

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Consultation

We look into all aspects of your matter and suggest the most viable path for you.

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Case management

The Chamberlains team will work tirelessly to reach the best possible outcome for you.

Services

Wills

Do you have a Will in place? This is the one document we all need eventually, and making sure you’re prepared can mean the difference of months of stress and thousands of dollars in expense for your loved ones.

Even the simplest of Wills with the most straightforward of wishes can be what saves your loved ones from difficulties. Unfortunately, sometimes life isn’t as simple as we would like. Succession law is fraught with common pitfalls that we can help you avoid in the preparation of your Will, especially when it comes to complex assets, overseas property and blended families.

We can assist you in ensuring that you are prepared, as well as:

  • Ensuring that your estate passes to your intended beneficiaries and is protected from contestation where possible
  • Minimising capital gains tax and income tax for your beneficiaries
  • Protecting inheritances from relationship breakdown and bankruptcy
  • Protecting the inheritances of minor and vulnerable beneficiaries.

Contact us today, and rest assured that your Will has been prepared by experts in the field.

Powers of Attorney and Related Capacity Documents

If you lose capacity, it is essential that you have nominated a trusted person or persons to make decisions in relation to your property and medical matters. Unfortunately, we aren’t always able to tell when we will lose capacity, and by the time it happens it’s already too late.

We are able to advise you and help prepare Powers of Attorney and related documents such as Enduring Guardianships and Medical Treatment Decision maker, for every State and Territory in Australia, so that you know that you are prepared for any eventuality.

Estate Protection

We can help you to protect your estate from family provision claims. We assist clients with preparing and executing documents to give greater weight to your testamentary intentions. Nobody is able to stop a family provision claim from being made, though there are many steps we can help you with to assist in ensuring that your estate is safeguarded against these claims as much as possible.

We have a range of personalised methods to assist in protecting your estate to suit your needs and budget.

Forms and Informational Flyers

Would you like to know more about the process of setting up a Will? Maybe you want to learn more about the different terms?
Have a look at our informational flyers:

Prepare your documents for your lawyer:

FAQs

  • Do I need a Will?

    Everyone over the age of 18 should have a Will. If you do not have a Will, your assets may end up with someone you did not want to benefit. Intestacy laws will govern the distribution of your assets – i.e. the order in which your eligible spouse or relatives will inherit your Estate.

    In NSW, for example, if you die with a new partner and you have children from a previous relationship, then your Estate will be divided between your new partner and your children – even though it might have been your intention to give everything to your children.


  • Would someone be able to contest my Will?

    Generally speaking, you have the right to dispose of your property as you see fit. However, the Court does have the power to intervene if an eligible person (usually, your spouse or children) makes a claim against your Estate and the Court is convinced that you did not give them adequate provision. What is sufficient in the circumstances depends on issues such as what contributions they made towards you in your lifetime, what financial need they have, the size of your Estate and the competing claims of others. The relevant factors will depend on the circumstances of the case and, as this is a technical area, it is best to seek the advice of a solicitor if you are concerned about someone contesting your Estate.


  • When would I need to change my Will?

    You should review your Will every 2 to 3 years or after every major life event such as:

    • Getting married or divorced
    • Having children
    • Buying and selling property
    • Starting a business
    • Death of your proposed executor or beneficiary

    We can help advise whether your Will is valid and whether it should be updated.

    You do not need to change your Will due to a change of address.


  • What assets are not covered by my Will?

    There are certain assets that you control in your lifetime that you cannot pass in your Will. These are called non-estate assets.

    Examples include:

    • assets you own as joint tenants with another person (where the other person survives you);
    • assets which are paid directly to a superannuation dependant in the event of your death; and
    • assets in a family trust.

Contact us.

Level 8
224 Bunda Street
Canberra ACT 2601.

PO Box 131
Civic Square ACT 2608

P +61 2 6188 3600
E hello@chamberlains.com.au