WILL & ESTATE LAWYER IN TOWNSVILLE

HELPING GIVE YOU PEACE OF MIND

We are will and estate experts who are dedicated to giving you peace of mind, by helping you prepare for the future and to take the burden off you following the loss of a loved, with compassion and in the most cost-effective way.

At Life Legal, we offer a full range of estate planning, retirement and aged care planning, estate litigation and estate administration services in Townsville. If you need assistance preparing Wills, Testamentary Trusts, Enduring Powers of Attorney, Advance Health Directives, help with entry into a retirement or aged care community, or you need advice or assistance with the administration of an estate, including a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration, we are here for you.

Make an appointment to speak with our will and estate lawyers via our online booking link.

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WILLS & Estate Planning

Wills & Estate Planning

Packages

Essentials Package

Suitable if you just want the basics, have a small number of assets (ie. home, car, bank account) and superannuation and/or life insurance makes up the majority of your wealth. Your beneficiaries can manage their own money and are at minimal risk of family breakdown, bankruptcy or litigation (eg. in a high-risk profession).

This package may also be suitable if you have an interest in one business or family structure (ie. company, trust, partnership, self-managed superannuation fund), ‘your entity’. If this is relevant to you, the ‘Business Owners’ additional inclusions below will apply.

Essentials Package Inclusions

Individuals & Couples

Initial strategy and recommendation meeting (up to 1.5 hours)

Will/s (not including testamentary trusts or complex gifting clauses)

Package price applies to mirror Wills only. Additional fees apply where different appointments and/or gifting provisions are desired

Enduring Power/s of Attorney (Qld) appointing attorneys to make decisions for you when you’re still alive

Revocation of your existing Enduring Powers of Attorney and letter to outgoing attorney/s (if required) (does not include lodgement fees)

Arranging for your incoming attorney(s) to accept their appointment(s) and monitoring the return of your original Enduring Powers of Attorney

One current title search of your principal place of residence to confirm ownership and the tenancy in which it is held (this may be critical to your estate plan)

*It is recommended that a title search be carried out for all of your properties. Further charges will apply (at cost) for additional searches

Review of your superannuation and life insurance arrangements and providing recommendations to align your superannuation and life insurance with your estate plan

Meeting with you to sign your estate planning documents or providing them to you with detailed instructions to guide you with signing, witnessing and document handling

Secure storage of your original documents (if desired)

Business Owners

In addition to the above, the Business Owners package includes:

Collaboration with your financial advisers, accountants or other business advisers (as required/instructed)

One current ASIC organisational extract to confirm office holdings / share holdings

*It is recommended that a title search be carried out for all of your properties. Further charges will apply (at cost) for additional searches

Review and consideration of documents associated with your entity (ie. company constitution, trust deed, current financial statements) and advising on a succession of your interests

Identifying any matters contained within your entity documents that may affect your estate (ie. unpaid present entitlements, loans) and liaising with your other advisers as required)

Additional provisions in your Will/s and/or Enduring Power/s of Attorney with respect to your succession of your entity (if applicable)

A General Power of Attorney for your company (if required/instructed)

Additional services

Binding Death Benefit Nominations for your self-managed superannuation fund - add an additional $330.00 per document.

Essentials Package Pricing

Individuals $1,100

Couples $1,750

Business Owners: (individual) $1,950 (couples) $2,600

Flexi Package

Perfect if you have complex gifting requirements or have minor children or grandchildren and want to provide a more secure, structured and tax-effective gift, or you want to give your beneficiaries the greatest flexibility on your death.

Our Business Owners pricing and additional inclusions will apply if you have an interest in up to three business or family structures (ie. company, trust, partnership, self-managed superannuation fund), ‘your entities’.

Flexi Package Inclusions

Individuals & Couples

Initial strategy and recommendation meeting (up to 2 hours)

Will/s (which may include a Will with complex gifting provisions or a Will with standard testamentary trusts).

*For couples: Package price applies to mirror Wills only. Additional fees apply where different appointments and/or gifting provisions are desired

Enduring Power/s of Attorney (Qld) appointing attorneys to make decisions for you when you’re still alive

Revocation of your existing Enduring Powers of Attorney and letter to outgoing attorney/s (if required) (does not include lodgement fees)

Arranging for your incoming attorney(s) to accept their appointment(s) and monitoring return of your original Enduring Powers of Attorney

Review of your superannuation and life insurance arrangements and recommendations to align them with your estate plan

Advance Health Directive/s (if desired)

Letter/s of Wishes (if desired)

One current title search of your property (if any) to confirm ownership and the tenancy in which it is held (this may be critical to your estate plan)

*It is recommended that a title search be carried out for all of your properties. Further charges will apply (at cost) for additional searches

Meeting with you to sign your estate planning documents or providing them to you with detailed instructions to guide you with signing, witnessing and document handling

Secure storage of your original documents (if desired)

Business Owners

In addition to the above, the Business Owners package includes:

Collaboration with your financial advisers, accountants or other business advisers (as required/instructed)

Up to three current ASIC organisational extracts, to confirm office holdings / share holdings

Up to three General Powers of Attorney for your companies (if required/instructed)

Review and consideration of documents associated with your entities (ie. company constitutions, trust deeds, current financial statements) and advising on succession of your interests

Identifying any matters contained within your entity documents that may affect your estate (ie. unpaid present entitlements, loans) and liaising with your other advisers as required

Additional provisions in your Will/s and/or Enduring Power/s of Attorney with respect to your succession of your entities (if applicable)

Preparation of Binding Death Benefit Nominations in accordance with your self-managed superannuation fund trust deed (if applicable)

Additional services

Binding Death Benefit Nominations for your self-managed superannuation fund - add an additional $330.00 per document.

Flexi Package Pricing

Individuals $2,200

Couples $3,400

Business Owners: (individual) $4,000 (couples) $5,500

It’s Complex

If you like the look of one of the above packages but have additional complicating factors like:

A blended family (with or without) estranged children

One or more beneficiaries with special needs or one whose inheritance may be at risk

Complex asset holdings or multiple (4+) business or family structures (ie. companies, trusts, partnerships and/or a self-managed superannuation fund)

We would be happy to tailor a fixed-fee package to your circumstances. Contact us for a no-obligation free discussion.

Singular Documents

Do you just need one document, or can’t find what you are looking for?

Email us or book a free 15-minute call with our estate planning lawyers and we will provide you our fixed fee individual document pricing.

Can’t Find a Package to Suit You?

We can tailor a fixed fee package to you.

Book a free 15-minute call with our estate planning lawyers for a confidential discussion.

Find Out More

ESTATE ADMINISTRATION

Initial Meeting

Someone close to you has died, and you’re unsure where to start. You think you might need some help but are not really sure. Find out where you stand and what needs to be done, and leave our initial meeting with some certainty, a plan and an experienced lawyer to contact if you need further support.

$330*

inc GST for 1 hour consultation*

What we do for you:

Review the Will (if applicable/available) and death certificate (if issued)
Clearly explain where you stand legally
If you are an executor or eligible to be appointed as an administrator, discuss the steps you should take straight away
Consider the deceased's known assets and provide you with an indication of what you will need to do in the administration
Following our meeting, we provide you with a tailored estimate of our costs to assist you with part or all of the estate administration

*If, after your initial consultation, you decide you would like us to support you through the full estate administration and agree to our estimate of costs, the cost of your initial consultation will be included in, and not additional to, the costs of the full estate administration.

Grants of Representation*

Probate

Where there is a valid Will, and the person(s) appointed as Executor are willing and able to act.

$2,000*

inc GST, court filing and mandatory advertising expenses

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Letters of Administration

Where there is a valid Will and the named Executor is unable to act or where there is no valid Will.

$2,200*

inc GST, court filing and mandatory advertising expenses

What we do for you:

Obtain the original Will (if applicable) and order a death certificate (if necessary)
Review the Will (if applicable) and death certificate
Publish and serve the notice of intention to apply for a Grant
Prepare the application and affidavits
Meet with you to sign your application and affidavits
File the application and affidavits in the Supreme Court and collect same once the Grant has issued
Answer any enquiries or requisitions issued by the Supreme Court**;
Give you the original Grant, together with 4 certified copies

**Any requisition from the Supreme Court or additional work required more than clarification by telephone will be in addition to the package fee. Additional work will be charged at your lawyer’s standard hourly rate.

*Prices are current as at 1 January 2024 and apply to standard applications for a Grant of Probate or Grant of Letters of Administration with the Will or on Intestacy only. A breakdown of the estimated expenses will be provided to you following your initial consultation.

We will provide you with our fee proposal if a complex application is required or as soon as we identify any other matter which may increase the work required, and the cost.

Property Transactions

(Fixed pricing applies to Queensland Properties Only)

Record of Death

Required where you own a property as a joint tenant with someone who has passed away a record of death to get the property into your name.

$550.00* per property

inc GST, title search fee and Titles Queensland lodgement fees

What we do for you:

Obtain and review the current title search for the property
Order a death certificate (if necessary);
Review the death certificate and certify copies
Draft and sign the Request to Record Death
Lodge the required documents with Titles Queensland
Provide you with confirmation of registration
Transmission Application to Legal Personal Representative

Where you need to register an estate property into your name as executor or administrator so you can either sell the property or transfer it to beneficiaries.

$1,150*

inc GST, title search, Titles Queensland and PEXA lodgment fees

(reduced rates apply to subsequent properties)

What we do for you:

Obtain and review the current title search for the property
Obtain the original documents required to be lodged at Titles Queensland with the Transmission Application
Review the death certificate and Will (plus Probate or Letters of Administration if obtained) and certify copies
Draft and sign the Transmission Application
Draft required statutory declaration(s) and arrange for signature
Lodge documents with Titles Queensland
Provide you with confirmation of registration
Transmission Application to Beneficiary in Will

Where a property can be transferred directly from the deceased’s name to a beneficiary pursuant to the Will.

$1,100*

inc GST, title search and Titles Queensland lodgment fee

(reduced rates apply to subsequent properties)

What we do for you:

Obtain and review the current title search for the property
Obtain the original documents required to be lodged at Titles Queensland with the Transmission Application
Review the death certificate and Will (plus Probate or Letters of Administration if obtained) and certify copies
Draft and sign the Transmission Application
Draft required statutory declarations and arrange for signature
Lodge documents with Titles Queensland
Provide you with confirmation of registration

*Prices are current as at 1 January 2024 and apply to standard records of death and transmissions only. A breakdown of the estimated expenses will be provided to you following your initial consultation.

We will provide you with our fee proposal if a complex application is required or as soon as we identify any other matter which may increase the work required, and the cost.

Make an Appointment

RETIREMENT & AGED CARE

Advice Only

$1,850*

*incl GST (an urgent fee of $330.00 will be charged if our advice is required within 48 hours of us receiving your documents)

This includes:

Reviewing all documents received from the Village or Aged Care Facility

Drafting a comprehensive letter of advice setting out the terms and conditions of the agreement, lease or licence and associated documents

Meeting with you to provide advice, which will explain the entry and exit conditions and processes, and your obligations while living at the Village or Aged Care Facility

Answering any questions you have about the documents

Advice Plus

$2,500*

*inc GST (an urgent fee of $330.00 will be charged if our advice is required within 48 hours of us receiving your documents)

This includes the advice package, plus:

Liaising with the Village or Aged Care Facility (or their legal representatives) with respect to any changes required to the documents prior to you signing