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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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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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
Do You Really Want A Plain English Will? Read More »
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
What to Keep in a Safe Deposit Box (and What Not to) Read More »
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
Being Strong Willed In 5 Easy Steps Read More »
Wills used to be a set-and-forget exercise, where the paperwork was done once, put in a drawer and never thought of again. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) life has a funny habit of changing, which means your will should too. After all, the very purpose of a will is to protect and take care of the people you love right now. Not the people you loved 20 years ago (lucky you if you’re still loving the
When to Update Your Will Read More »
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.
Estate Planning For Adult Children Read More »
Online Wills and DIY Will Kits have long been heralded as a saviour for the time-poor (or just poor in general). But are they all they’re cracked up to be? Everything you need to know before you DIY your will. I often get asked what I think of DIY wills. I used to be too scared to say “They suck balls” and instead would say “I don’t hate them”. But actually, I do hate them
Appointing a Testamentary Guardian in your will means you have control over who makes decisions on your behalf if you are no longer able to look after your children. Like every parent I know, my kids are my world. I was lucky enough to get five of them, in two batches. In 1998, my daughter Lily was born two weeks shy of my 21st birthday – a nine-pound four-ounce bundle of perfection. Oliver arrived two
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