De Maria & Associates
Wills and Estates Lawyers Watsonia
Wills play a significant role in managing your personal and business assets and call for meticulous planning and thought. Given the complexities of blended families, children with disabilities, and life changes, our team offers counsel and help in crafting your Will, defining the Executor of your Estate and the recipients of your assets (Beneficiaries).
It’s vital to create a Will to ensure all your loved ones are provided for and that your assets are distributed according to your desires after your death.
Making a Will can appear challenging, but our team can help guide you through the entire process to lessen the chance of someone disputing your Will. Often, a Will is challenged if a family member feels left out or insufficiently included. Other disputes can arise due to claims of lack of capacity, undue influence, or breach of trust.
Enduring Power of Attorney (Financial)
Is a legal document by which you appoint a trusted person (referred to as “the attorney”) to make personal, financial, legal and property decisions on your behalf if you lose the mental capacity to do so yourself.
An Enduring Power of Attorney is granted to a person whom you trust to make sound financial and personal decisions on your behalf.
Some responsibilities that an attorney can perform on your behalf include: settling your bills, signing documents, buying or selling real estate, and handling shares or bank accounts.
Medical Treatment Decision
Everyone has the prerogative to decide about their own medical treatment. But, if you find yourself unable to make these decisions either for a short period or permanently, you can select a medical decision-maker on your behalf. The process of appointing a person for this can be daunting, yet our team is prepared to guide and support you on whom and when you should designate a trusted individual to make medical decisions for you.
Advanced Care Directive
This is a legally enforceable document that allows you to articulate clear plans for your future health, care, and end of life issues. This document encapsulates your decisions and desires for medical treatment, and it specifies the medical treatment you want and do not want in emergency situations. You should involve your doctor when filling out an Advance Care Directive document.
We offer the following expertise:
- Wills
- Codicils
- Testamentary Trusts
- Estate Planning
- Enduring Powers of Attorney (Financial)
- Enduring Powers of Attorney (Medical)
- Binding Death Nominations