When it comes to divvying up your estate after death, testamentary trusts are often touted as an option. They can be a way to ‘rule from the grave’, giving you more control over the way your assets are distributed – placing them in a trust, rather than having them given directly to your beneficiaries…

While more Australians are aware of the importance of having a will, simply buying a do-it-yourself will kit from a newsagent and filling it out yourself can cause more problems than it solves.
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The below list of related terms are by no means exhaustive, but they are a good starting point for anyone contemplating either beginning, ending or clarifying a important relationship that either involves us directly, or involves someone we care deeply about. ..

Wran died in April last year (2014) aged 87 after suffering dementia. He left a fortune estimated to be worth up to $40 million, largely made up of an impressive property portfolio. This estate is at the heart of a dispute within his extended family. ..

The number of will disputes reaching the Supreme Court has shot up by almost 60 per cent since 2005, with blended families, entitled grandchildren and burgeoning estate values driving up the number of claims…

There are a few lessons to be learnt from high-profile family disputes, including that of Gina Rinehart, according to lawyer Bernie O’Sullivan…

A THIRD of Americans have cheated on their partner … about money. It’s called financial infidelity and we suspect a similar, or greater, proportion of Australians have done the same thing…