Wills and enduring powers of attorney

We make the task of estate planning simple and straightforward.

As Accredited Specialists in Wills & Estates, we understand that writing a Will or planning for the future can feel overwhelming. If the task of getting your affairs in order has landed in the too-hard basket, you’re not alone. It’s natural to feel hesitant about confronting these decisions—especially when it involves thinking about who should manage your affairs if you lose capacity.

Yet making a Will and appointing Enduring Powers of Attorney is one of the most important and essential steps you can take to protect your wishes. These documents provide peace of mind for you and clarity for your loved ones, ensuring your assets are dealt with as you’ve intended. Without a Will, your estate will be distributed according to a statutory formula—which can lead to complexity, added costs, and unintended consequences for those left behind.

It’s also worth encouraging family members who haven’t yet put these arrangements in place to do so. Getting your affairs in order isn’t just a legal step—it’s a lasting act of care for those you love.

A Will is only one piece of your estate plan

These days, an increasing amount of personal wealth is held outside an individual’s name—through superannuation, family trusts, companies, and other structures. A will only governs assets held personally by the will-maker, which is why effective estate planning goes beyond the Will itself.

When clients come to us for a Will, we take a holistic approach to ensure their intentions for the succession of their wealth are properly carried out. This includes reviewing superannuation nominations and life insurance arrangements, examining trust deeds and company constitutions, assessing financial statements, and helping you understand how your assets are structured. Our goal is to ensure everything works together to reflect your wishes and protect your legacy.

Enduring powers of attorney

To make sure that a person you know and trust is there for you when you need them most, you need to make an enduring power of attorney and an appointment of medical treatment decision maker.

With the right documents in place, these people can step in and make the big decisions on your behalf when you can’t. Without them, if you become too ill to make your own decisions, VCAT decides who will look after your financial affairs – which can be a messy, costly process.

In Victoria, an attorney appointed under an enduring power of attorney can:

• Enter into contracts

• Withdraw funds from your bank account

• Open and close utility accounts

• Manage your tax

• And more

A medical treatment decision maker can make medical treatment decisions for you when you cannot.  

McManus & Co Lawyers will help you draw up the documents appointing someone you trust. Our rigorous approach ensures that the documents are drawn and executed correctly – giving you and your loved ones peace of mind.