Wills & Estates

Wills &
Estates

Pippa Colman Family Law helps families on the Sunshine Coast and throughout Queensland with their Wills and Estate planning to ensure that your wishes are legally documented. 

We advise our clients about four crucial documents that everyone should have in place, and which require updating:

  • A Binding Death Benefits Nomination which requires the trustee of your super fund to pay any benefit due at the time of your death to a spouse, a dependant or your legal personal representative (the trustee of your estate or the administrator of your estate).  

  • A Will which appoints your executors and provides for the division of your estate after your death

  • A Power of Attorney which may be general e.g., for your Company or an Enduring Power of Attorney so that if you lose your capacity to make decisions, someone you trust makes decisions for you

  • An Advance Health Directive which sets out your wishes about your medical care if you are unable to communicate those wishes yourself.


Regularly reviewing these documents ensures they accurately reflect your current wishes. We strongly recommend having a solicitor draft your documents to eliminate problems in the future.

We can also give you advice on:

  1. Estate Planning

    • Trust Formation: Establishing various types of trusts (e.g., living trusts, revocable and irrevocable trusts) to manage and protect assets during the client’s lifetime and after death.

    • Tax Planning: Developing strategies in collaboration with accountants and/or financial planners as may be necessary to minimise estate and inheritance taxes, ensuring that more of the estate’s value is preserved for beneficiaries.

    • Healthcare Directives: Preparing documents such as living wills and healthcare proxies to outline the client’s medical care preferences and designate decision-makers if they become incapacitated.

  2. Probate and Estate Administration

    • Probate Process: Assisting with the probate process, where a will is validated by the court, and the executor administers the estate according to the will’s terms.

    • Estate Administration: Guiding executors and administrators through the process of settling the estate, including paying debts, filing taxes, and distributing assets to beneficiaries.

  3. Estate Dispute Resolution

    • Will Contests: Representing clients in disputes over the validity of a will, including allegations of undue influence, fraud, or lack of testamentary capacity.

    • Trust Litigation: Handling disputes related to the management or distribution of trust assets.

    • Beneficiary Disputes: Resolving conflicts among beneficiaries over the interpretation or execution of a will or trust.


Our fees for preparing these documents are structured as follows:

  • Simple Will: $440*

  • Complex Will: $880**

  • Will with Testamentary Trust: $1,800

  • Enduring Power of Attorney: $440

  • Advanced Health Directive: $440

  • Binding Death Benefits Nomination $440 or more (our hourly rate) for a self managed super fund

*A simple Will excludes any reference to self-managed super funds and business structures such as trusts or companies.

**A complex Will includes references to self-managed super funds and business structures such as trusts or companies.

Contact us today or fill out our questionnaire to learn more about how we can assist you.