Wills & Estates
Protecting What Matters Most
Atila Lawyers provides comprehensive wills and estate planning services — ensuring your wishes are documented, your assets are protected, and your loved ones are provided for.
Why Estate Planning Matters
A well-drafted will and a considered estate plan are among the most important steps you can take to protect your family and your assets. Without them, the law determines how your estate is distributed — often with results that do not reflect your intentions.
Estate planning goes beyond simply writing a will. It encompasses powers of attorney, guardianship appointments, superannuation nominations, and strategies to minimise the tax and legal costs your estate may face.
Whether you are planning for the future or dealing with the administration of a loved one's estate, our team provides clear, practical advice tailored to your circumstances.
How We Can Help
Our Wills & Estates Services
Wills
Professionally drafted wills that clearly express your wishes and stand up to scrutiny.
A valid, well-drafted will is the cornerstone of any estate plan. We take the time to understand your family circumstances, your assets, and your wishes — then draft a will that is clear, legally sound, and tailored to your situation.
We advise on complex issues including blended families, testamentary trusts, specific bequests, and the appointment of appropriate executors and guardians for minor children.
- Simple and complex will drafting
- Testamentary trust wills
- Executor and guardian appointments
- Will updates and reviews
Powers of Attorney
Appointing trusted people to make decisions on your behalf if you lose capacity.
An enduring power of attorney allows you to appoint a trusted person to manage your financial and legal affairs if you lose the capacity to do so yourself. Without one, your family may need to apply to the court for a guardianship order — a costly and time-consuming process.
We also prepare enduring guardianship appointments, which allow you to nominate someone to make personal and lifestyle decisions on your behalf, including decisions about your medical treatment.
- Enduring powers of attorney
- Enduring guardianship appointments
- Advance care directives
- Review of existing appointments
Estate Administration
Guiding executors through the process of administering an estate efficiently and correctly.
Administering an estate can be a complex and time-consuming process, particularly when the estate includes real property, business interests, or overseas assets. We guide executors through every step — from obtaining probate to distributing the estate to beneficiaries.
We handle the legal formalities so that executors can fulfil their duties with confidence, minimising the risk of personal liability and ensuring the estate is administered in accordance with the will and the law.
- Probate applications
- Letters of administration
- Asset collection and distribution
- Executor advice and support
Testamentary Trusts
Structuring your estate to protect assets and provide for beneficiaries over time.
A testamentary trust is a trust established by your will that comes into effect upon your death. It can provide significant tax advantages, protect assets from creditors and relationship breakdown, and ensure that vulnerable beneficiaries — such as minor children or those with disabilities — are properly provided for.
We advise on whether a testamentary trust is appropriate for your circumstances and draft the necessary provisions into your will.
- Discretionary testamentary trusts
- Protective trusts for vulnerable beneficiaries
- Tax-effective income distribution
- Asset protection strategies
Superannuation & Death Benefits
Ensuring your superannuation is distributed according to your wishes.
Superannuation does not automatically form part of your estate and is not governed by your will. Without a valid binding death benefit nomination, your superannuation fund trustee has discretion over who receives your super — which may not align with your intentions.
We advise on binding and non-binding nominations, the tax implications of different distribution strategies, and how to integrate your superannuation into your broader estate plan.
- Binding death benefit nominations
- Non-lapsing nominations
- SMSF estate planning
- Tax-effective super distribution
Estate Planning Reviews
Keeping your estate plan current as your circumstances change.
Your estate plan should be reviewed regularly — particularly after major life events such as marriage, divorce, the birth of children or grandchildren, the acquisition of significant assets, or the death of a beneficiary or executor.
We offer comprehensive estate plan reviews to ensure your documents remain valid, up to date, and aligned with your current wishes and circumstances.
- Comprehensive estate plan review
- Post-marriage and post-divorce updates
- Business succession planning
- Blended family planning
Plan Your Estate with Confidence
Don't leave your family's future to chance. Book a confidential consultation and receive clear, practical advice on protecting your assets and providing for the people you love.