Category Family Provision Claims

Left Out of a Will When Family or Assets Are Overseas

This article was written by Grace Blake Solicitor at W & G Lawyers.

Being left out of a Will is hard enough on its own. Where the deceased owned property in another country, or where you live overseas yourself, the position becomes more complicated, and the expensive mistakes tend to be made in the first few weeks, before anyone has thought to get advice.

A good deal of our estate work involves families whose assets and relationships cross borders. A parent who migrated to Queensland but kept an apartment in Shanghai. An adult child overseas who hears months after the funeral that they have been left out. Queensland’s family provision laws apply to these estates, but they cannot always reach every asset, and the result is often not what families expect.

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Estate Planning for Blended Families — What You Need to Know Before It’s Too Late

This article was written by Nancy Wang, Principal solicitor at W & G Lawyers. For further information about Nancy Wang’s professional background, legal experience, and areas of practice, please click on her name to view her full profile.

Blended families are increasingly common across Australia, yet they remain one of the most complex situations in estate planning. Where two people come together each with children from prior relationships, real property in various ownership structures, superannuation, insurance, and accumulated wealth — the stakes of getting an estate plan wrong are very high.

This article walks through the key issues every blended family should consider before meeting with a solicitor. It is general information only. Because every family’s situation is different, we strongly recommend obtaining independent legal advice tailored to your circumstances.

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