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If you die without a valid will your estate will be distributed as fixed by law.  The distribution is likely to be very different from what you would want.  It also leads to uncertainty and concerns for those family members who survive you.

A will can be a simple document providing for the direct gift of assets on death to the beneficiaries named, or it can be a much more complex or sophisticated document creating testamentary trusts providing for greater flexibility and consequent tax savings, and protection of assets to ensure they pass to your chosen beneficiaries in circumstances where otherwise they might be at risk.

A will only deals with assets that are owned by the will maker personally.

There are other assets that will be dealt with separately from those dealt with by a will.  These other assets might include jointly held property, superannuation, life insurance, trusts and partnership interests.

It is also important to understand that owning a share or shares in a family company will mean that what is dealt with by a will are the shares in the company, rather than the individual assets of the company.

Atkinson Vinden will review and advise you on all these matters.