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Overview

This course provides a practical introduction to Wills and estate planning law in Australia, covering the key considerations for lawyers when giving estate planning advice.

Despite being one of the most important documents a person can make, statistics show that more than 50% of Australian adults do not have a Will. However, estate planning is much broader than simply preparing and executing a Will – it involves a process of helping clients to rearrange their affairs during their lifetime to best achieve the desired outcome on their death. This is a key area where lawyers can assist clients.

This course provides a practical introduction to Wills and estate planning law in Australia. The course covers the key considerations for lawyers when giving estate planning advice:

identifying assets and liabilities, particularly assets that require special treatment;
dealing with life insurance and superannuation benefits;
requirements for preparing and executing a valid Will;
limiting the impact of family provision legislation;
using testamentary trusts in Wills; and
testamentary capacity and substitute decision-making documents.

Need more than one CPD point? Save 10% when you purchase this course as part of our One-Click CPD Compliance Packs!

Last Updated: February 2023

Meet the experts

Lucy Dickens

Director Birman and Ride

Lucy is a Director at Birman & Ride where she brings together people, process and technology to reshape the provision of legal services, constantly challenging the way things are done to see if they can be improved.

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Michael Hodgkins

Director Birman and Ride

Michael has been a partner of Birman & Ride since July 2009. He leads the firm’s family and property law teams which offer a broad range of services including settlements, commercial law, family law, wills and estate planning.

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Reviews

5.0/5

Clear and well structured

I found this course to be really useful. The language was clear and the course was very well structured. I'd love another course by these people.

S. Fox, Solicitor
5.0/5

a great course

Excellent refresher on this topic.

F. Dillon, Solicitor
4.0/5

useful info

Useful information on wills, trusts and estates.

N. Brown, Solicitor
5.0/5

Good course

The course is informative and extends the field of knowledge for my practice in this area of law.

K. Chow, Solicitor
4.0/5

Some great insights added.

There were definitely various items in this course that allowed me to understand where I need to further research for better in-depth understanding.

R. Tricksey, Solicitor
4.0/5

Substantive overview

This is a substantive overview of Wills and Estate Planning, for non-specialists.

I. Wadley, Solicitor
5.0/5

Very informative and useful for practice in this area of law

Whilst I prefer interactive courses with videos to watch, this had all the elements I needed for a refresher in this area of law. The information was current and relevant and helpful to me in matters I am currently working on.

M. Nicolle, Solicitor
5.0/5

Recommended

I highly recommend this course prepared by Lucy Dickens.

E. Cummings, Solicitor
5.0/5

Thank you

The course was excellent and enjoyable to undertake. It was interesting and a healthy refresher.

H. Pearce, Solicitor
5.0/5

Good overview

A very good overview of an often misunderstood and underrated area of the law.

H. Concanen, Solicitor
5.0/5

Super helpful

I tracked back through this course that I did last year to learn a little more about a Will - so it has been super helpful.

T. Jackson, Solicitor
4.0/5

A useful course.

I found this course useful and the website was easy to navigate.

D. Katsaros, Solicitor

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Overview of Wills and Estate Planning Law