The majority of people know – they need a will. Yet only a handful do actually have a vision that reflects their life today. Life moves on – circumstances change, property is purchased, families evolve – even relationships shift to the point that a will made five years ago simply doesn’t help the people for whom it was written anymore.
At ALF Lawyers, we see a great number of clients come to us when they experience a significant event in their lives – be that buying their first home, starting a family, receiving an inheritance or separating from a partner. It is at those moments that people often begin to realise that their existing arrangements do not deliver the certainty they believed.
At our Brisbane firm, we have wills and estate lawyers who work with individuals, couples and families to set up the right legal structures long before they need to be used. We care to ask you the critical questions and provide simple answers that make sense in plain English while cooking up documents that will hold up when it is crucial for your family.
A Will is a legally binding document that records how your assets are distributed after you pass away. It names an Executor, the person responsible for carrying out your instructions and gives your family a clear legal path forward instead of uncertainty.
Without a valid Will, Queensland’s Succession Act 1981 takes over. A fixed legal formula decides who receives what. Courts appoint an administrator rather than someone you choose. The formula does not account for your relationships, your intentions or the people who depend on you most.
A properly prepared Will gives you control over three things that matter:
Taking the time to prepare a Will is one of the most responsible decisions you can make, at any age and at any stage of life. Our team of wills and estate lawyers in Brisbane will advise you based on your current circumstances, not a generic checklist.
Tell us about your situation – and our team will guide you from there, including contesting a Will, managing an estate or preparing new documents from scratch.
We guide Brisbane executors through every step of that process, from preparing and lodging the application through to managing the estate’s obligations and supporting final distribution to beneficiaries.
We prepare clear, legally valid Wills built around your specific family structure, assets and wishes. We also review & update existing Wills because many clients come to us with documents that no longer reflect how their life actually looks.
An Enduring Power of Attorney appoints a trusted person to make financial and legal decisions on your behalf if you lose the capacity to do so yourself. We prepare and advise on powers of attorney as part of a complete estate planning conversation - so nothing gets left unaddressed.
Being named as an Executor is both an honour and a real legal responsibility. Banks, share registries, and the Titles Registry won't release assets without a Grant of Probate from the Supreme Court of Queensland.
If a Will does not make adequate provision for you, you may have grounds for a family provision claim under Queensland’s Succession Act 1981. Time limits apply, so early advice is important.
We assess your position clearly, advise on the strength of your claim and represent your interests throughout the process.
A Will is one part of a complete estate plan. We advise on how your assets are held, how they transfer on death and how to structure your affairs to reduce complexity for the people you leave behind.
If you and your partner both need a Will prepared, we offer a discounted package covering basic Will preparation for both parties.
It is one of the most practical steps a couple can take together and one of the most affordable ways to make sure both of you are covered.
Contact our team to find out what is included and what the current package rate is for your circumstances.
Dying without a Will in Queensland means dying intestate. There is no appointed Executor. A family member must apply to the Supreme Court for Letters of Administration before anything can be done, adding legal cost and delay at an already difficult time.
Once an administrator is appointed, the Succession Act 1981 distributes your estate according to its own formula. That formula does not know your family. It does not account for blended families, long-term de facto relationships without formal documentation or wishes you may have expressed informally.
In rare cases where no eligible relatives exist, the estate passes to the State of Queensland entirely.
The people most affected are often the ones closest to you:
A Will does not need to be complicated to be effective. It needs to be current, legally valid and prepared by a wills and estate lawyer who understands your circumstances.
You work directly with an experienced wills and estate lawyer from the first conversation through to the final document. One lawyer, one point of contact and no handovers.
We work for you because we care.
Speak with our wills and estate lawyers Brisbane team today and put a plan in place that gives your family certainty.