Experienced Lawyers in Melbourne & across regional Victoria for Updating Your Will
Life changes, so should your Will. Does your Will need updating? Stratus Legal Group provides a free Will review, fixed pricing and no hourly rates.
Updating Your Will
It’s risky to make adjustments to your existing Will without seeking legal advice. Some changes may render your Will invalid, preventing your wishes from being fulfilled.
The possibility of fraud is one of the main reasons why a Will should not be plainly amended, such as by hand. A tampered Will may give rise to a legal challenge if the modification results in someone receiving less or missing out entirely. These changes can be viewed with scepticism as the result of undue influence or as if they were made without the Will maker’s knowledge. When a Will is challenged, the legal costs eat away at the estate funds, resulting in a lower amount for the beneficiaries overall.
In most cases, we may advise that a new Will be written. This will show that the Will was written without undue influence or deception. We will document why changes have been made, in addition to preparing your new Will. This can help demonstrate the Will maker’s reasoning after he or she has passed away.
Important things to note
It is ideal to review your Will on a regular basis. Your life changes, and depending on the circumstances, these changes may necessitate a review. Here are a few examples:
• starting a new business
• separation or divorce
• forming a new relationship
• you enter or dispose of a trust
• changes to a major asset
• changes in the lives of your beneficiaries or executor
Things to Consider
Having experience in all aspects of estate planning and wills, we are able to consider options that usually haven’t been thought of by our clients. This is where true experience makes a difference.
Familys and relationships are complicated and sometimes it can be awkward to discuss your private life. We assure you there is no circumstances in your family that you should feel like you can’t discuss with us as the more information we have, the more we can ensure you receive the best legal advice.
We aim to keep the fees for estate planning as affordable as possible and can offer payment plans where needed. All Estate matters require full payment to be held in our trust account before we commence any detailed work.
We offer telephone, video and in person appointments to suit your needs. Our team will always do their best to promptly return calls, emails and letters.
What Our Clients Say
Read what some of our past clients have to say. The ethics and reputation of each one of our lawyers, precedes them individually and us as a firm.