Elizabeth Guthrie

SA Woman Awards 2022 Ceremony

Fiona Shilton SA Woman Award Winner

Fiona Shilton has been awarded the SA Woman Emerging Business Woman award for 2022 in recognition for her work changing the conversation around death, wills, and estate planning and creating a legal practice that focuses on kindness, care, and bravery. “We can only live our lives as fully as possible even if it is based on a mistake.” When Jill Lathlean died in 1985 someone awesome added this epitaph to her grave marker. I don’t […]

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Sole Trader Estate Planning

When you’re a Sole Trader it can feel impossible to separate yourself from your job. What most Sole Traders don’t realise is when it comes to the law, you and your job are entirely inseparable. When it comes to the law there is no distinction between you and your sole trader business. Being a sole trader offers tens of thousands of Australians the opportunity to build, own and grow their own business without the costs

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Including Collectibles In Your Estate Plan

When it comes to including collectibles in your estate plan, not all collections are created equal. Whilst your vintage Kewpie dolls, hand painted tea cups, expansive tool, or antique kettle collection may be deeply sentimental, more financially valuable collectibles such as artwork, precious metals, stamps and coins can be some of the toughest assets to pass on to your beneficiaries. “I’ve never met anyone yet who isn’t deeply emotionally connected to their collections.” Over the

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Do You Really Want A Plain English Will?

If I had a dollar for every client who has asked me to “Please just write my will in plain English Fiona,” I’d have a few extra dollars a week to run through my accounting system.   “Whilst the language your will is written in doesn’t need to be decipherable to the untrained eye, the language you as the will maker and your lawyer communicate in is of the utmost importance…” When people decide they want

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Safe Deposit Box

What to Keep in a Safe Deposit Box (and What Not to)

Are safe deposit boxes all they’re cracked up to be?  When it comes to hiding valuables I’ve heard it all; tin cans of cash buried in the backyard, diamonds stitched into the curtain hems, illegal items not just under the mattress but in the mattress. Everyone wants to keep their treasures safe.  “End-of-life wishes and funeral arrangements are of little value if they’re hidden away in a safe deposit box no one can access” If

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Strong Willed

Being Strong Willed In 5 Easy Steps

The world is full of people walking around feeling confident they’re winning at Adulting because they think they have a good will, when in actual fact they don’t.  Discover why being strong willed isn’t just about the piece of paper and how you can muscle up and make your will do the heavy lifting. “Good estate planning means making the business of living as easy as possible for the people you love when you’re no

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This Is Your Life

When to Update Your Will

A fellow much wiser than me one said “Nothing is contant except change”. Our lives have a funny habit of changing. Given your will is designed to protect the people and things you love right now, it’s important to update your will so it matches your life.  Imagine for a moment I ask you to write a book about your life right now. Not a retrospective, historical account dating 20, 30, 40 years back. Not

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Does Your Young Adult Need A Will

Estate Planning For Adult Children

Many parents are shocked to discover when their young person turns 18 they are legally no longer able to step in as a substitue decision maker if they became unwell or were in an accident, or act as the executor of their estate if they died. Estate planning for your adult children is an important consideration in keeping them safe and ensuring they have the documentation required for you to make decisions on their behalf.

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If you love someone. Let everyone know.

Brendan died of a massive heart attack in May 2021.  He was 51 years old.  He left behind adult children, an ex-wife and his partner of 4-years Cherie. This is Cherie’s story. “Just when I didn’t think I would find true love and a forever partner Brendan walked out the door towards me and I knew he was it.” Just two weeks before he died, Brendan woke me and asked me to call an ambulance.

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Burial Place

Deciding On Your Final Resting Place

Destination Final You’ve decided to be cremated but you figure your loved ones can decide where they’d prefer your final resting place to be.  That would be the most caring thing to do right?  Maybe not. When faced with a menu of Goodbye options families often struggle to make the decision about where to scatter or bury their loved ones cremains. Without direction, families are left guessing, arguing, disagreeing and more often than not some

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