For a while now, it’s been a hazy question asked by succession lawyers alike about whether an attorney can make or renew a binding death benefit nomination for their principal’s superannuation policy proceeds. On 24 August 2018, Justice Bowskill of the Supreme Court of Queensland delivered a decision on this very topic. The case of…
Tag: estate planning
The Unsent Text Message Will: Is it really that simple? No – it’s really not!
It’s likely been in your news feed recently that an unsent text message was held by a Queensland Court to be a valid Will. It may seem quite unbelievable to some that this would even happen! On the other hand, maybe it doesn’t? Reviewing the comments that appear in many of the media articles online…
No Will, no way?: Court refuses application for statutory Will in large estate (Qld)
Admittedly, it’s not something that one regularly thinks about, but the issue of incapacitated people making Wills is a topic that achieves much discussion nowadays. Where a person doesn’t have a Will, whether by choice or otherwise, the law provides what I like to call a “back-up plan” or formula, if you will, of how…
Leaving a “note” for mum successfully appealed; “Note” = Will
Not all that long ago, I wrote an article on a case involving a gentleman who had passed away in China. He was Australian Citizen who was resident in China for many years and he had left a note for his mum regarding his wishes to distribute some of his property which gave rise to…
Australian Citizen resident in China leaves a “note” for mum
Update! This case was successfully appealed in June 2017. Read my article on the appeal here. Documenting your wishes is simple in theory, but quite a different story in real world. The Supreme Court of Victoria had quite the job recently in deciphering whether a note a man left behind was considered to be his “Will” and…
Worldy Wisdom: Why a pro forma will still ends up in Court
I’m always curious as to any judgement dealing with will kits or proforma wills. I have every suspicion we will see more of these as the years go on. Recently the Court had to determine what a testator meant in the matter of Rhodes v Rhodes (as Executor of the Estate of Cecil Ronald Rhodes) & Ors…
Family Ties: Former wife successful in FPA where financial settlement finalised 25 years prior
I read, with interest, the recent case of Lodin v Lodin; Estate of Dr Mohammad Masoud Lodin [2017] NSWSC 10, which dealt with a family provision claim by a former spouse of the deceased where a financial property settlement had been reached some 25 years prior to the deceased’s date of death. In New South Wales, a claim for family…
