Wills & Estates Planning

Headstart’s Wills & Estate Planning practice brings a depth of experience to the full spectrum of wills and estates related matters, providing culturally sensitive and practical advice on estate planning, administration and dispute resolution. 

We engage deeply throughout the estate planning process, helping establish estate documents and deeds that are effective in giving life to our clients’ intentions and foreseeing issues before they arise. At the same time, we pursue clients’ interests in cases of disputes vigorously and robustly, while being sensitive to the challenges of such scenarios. 

We are emerging leaders in Australia’s high-potential and rapidly growing Islamic wills space, serving an important and growing segment of this emerging community with leading advice and solutions that bring the best of Islamic personal law and Australian statute/common law to bear on this complex area. 

We are intimately aware of the importance of good estate planning, helping our clients secure their assets for the long-term benefit of their loved ones and beneficiaries, including in the case of unforeseen deaths, incapacity or financial misfortune. We draft trust deeds to ensure they give effect to our clients’ intentions, advising on the entire range of planning options to do so while keeping cost and tax implications firmly in mind. We take a holistic view of our clients’ assets while doing so, and prepare documents to give effect to all strategic options, including death benefit nominations, trusts, wills, asset restructures and more. Further, we also draft other relevant documents such as powers of attorney to ensure clients and their dependents are looked after in the case of incapacity.

Further along the estate life-cycle, we are also experts in estate administration, assisting in the timely and adept administration of clients’ interests after their passing (or that of family members). We have extensive experience in applying for probate and letters of administration, as well as in advising on the successful administration of estates through a range of mechanisms including transfers of interest, property sales, access to super, and more.

Where matters proceed to estate disputes, we have extensive experience and knowledge in the resolution of estate disputes. Recognising the sensitivity of such situations and the legally complex nature of wills and estates disputes, we bring a combination of legal nous and human understanding to every matter. With experience and depth of knowledge across all Australian jurisdictions, we help our clients secure their objectives.