Conversation Starters Archives - Your Estate Lawyer

Information For A Death Certificate

Dream Dead Person Project, Estate Administration, Stories

When completing the paperwork for a death certificate an innocent mistake, oversight, or incorrect information can have bigger consequences than you may think. When someone dies in South Australia, the funeral director will normally register their death with Births, Deaths and Marriages on behalf of the person’s family or friends. Deaths need to be registered within seven days of burial or cremation. And applications can take up to eight weeks to be processed. As a […]

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Estate Planning For Companies

Business Estate Planning, Estate Planning

As a business owner it’s vital you adequately plan for the future of your business and that means making sure your assets and operations are looked after if you become unwell, have an accident or die. Estate planning isn’t a nice to have for business owners. It’s an essential piece of equipment in your business tool chest. Let me tell you a story that’s true. On the 2nd January 2020 the unimaginable happened to the

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Leaving A Death Letter Isn’t Brave

Death Chats, Dream Dead Person Project, Estate Planning

Using your will to name, shame or punish people who haven’t lived up to your expectations during your lifetime is cruel, heartless, and more often than not punishes the people you’re trying to reward as much as those you’re trying to write out. Even if you write a letter explaining why. There aren’t many people who manage to slide through life without receiving at least one Dear John letter (if your name is actually John

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Talking To Your Family About Your Estate Plan

Estate Planning

Whether you want to start talking to your family about your estate plan or will. Or you want to encourage a conversation with your parents or adult children to get their own estate planning ducks in a row, having a round table conversation about death can be a tricky subject to navigate. Here’s our top tips for how you can make edge your way towards having the hard chats or launch right in. We’ve been

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Understand The Roles In Your Will

Death Chats, Estate Planning

It probably all made sense during your estate plan – until you get home and someone asks you about their role in your will. We’ve put together this handy glossary of estate planning roles and responsibilities so you fully understand who’s doing what if you die or become incapacitated. When it comes to your death team its important to understand which job is going to go to which person, so you can be sure you’ve

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Writing a Great Eulogy

Death Chats, Dream Dead Person Project, Estate Planning, Stories

Writing a great eulogy or memorial speech can feel overwhelming and full of pressure. But before you launch into a CV that covers birth to death and everything in between we got together with a professional writer to share a few tips on writing a big hearted, memorable speech or eulogy. “Stories are the most powerful way to share values, connections and the personality of your person…” There’s nothing quite like the feeling of leaving

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Including Gifts To Charity In Your Will

Dream Dead Person Project, Estate Planning

Leaving a gift to charity in your will in the form of a bequest or donation is a powerful way to make a positive difference to a cause you believe strongly in. But is it as simple as simply writing your gift in your will? And would you gift be more valuable if it was given whilst you’re still alive? “Do you want to look like a hero after you’re dead? Or be a hero

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Fiona Shilton SA Woman Award Winner

Death Chats, Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Stories

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

Business Estate Planning, Dream Dead Person Project, 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

Death Chats, Dream Dead Person Project, Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Stories

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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