Mikaela is experienced in providing professional service to her clients in the areas of:

• Wills
• Wills creating testamentary trusts
• Enduring powers of attorney
• Corporate powers of attorney
• Advance health directives
• Deceased estate administration

What is an enduring power of attorney?
 
An enduring power of attorney (“EPA”) is a legal document which allows you to appoint someone to make decisions for you during your lifetime. There are some circumstances in which you may be unable to make decisions. For example, you may be overseas, you may be too ill, or you may have lost capacity.
 
It is not only ageing people who lose capacity.  Losing capacity can happen to anyone at any time. Sadly, people lose capacity for many reasons, including as a result of dementia, temporary illness, intellectual or psychiatric disability or brain injury.

While you can’t guarantee a will won’t be contested, you can reduce the risk by:
 

• Ensuring your will is clear, valid, and up to date.
• Documenting your reasons for leaving someone out.
• Getting a doctor’s statement confirming you had capacity when making your will.
• Seeking legal advice to structure your estate effectively.

Our team can help you create a legally secure estate plan.
 
You can read more frequently asked questions at our FAQ page. 

Generally, a will cannot be changed after death, but there are exceptions:
 

• Family provision claims – A court may order changes if someone was unfairly left out.
• Informal wills – If a document expresses the deceased’s true intentions but wasn’t properly signed, a court may recognise it.
• Executor agreements – Sometimes, beneficiaries agree to distribute assets differently from the will, but legal steps must be followed.

If you need help with estate disputes, we can guide you through the legal process.
 
You can read more frequently asked questions at our FAQ page here.

Jointly owned property usually passes directly to the surviving owner.
 

• Joint tenants – Ownership automatically transfers to the surviving owner and does not form part of the estate.
• Tenants in common – The deceased’s share is passed according to their will (or intestacy laws if no will exists).

If you're unsure how your property is structured, we can review your estate plan to ensure your assets are distributed as you intend.
 
You can read more frequently asked questions at our FAQ page

Mikaela is experienced in providing professional service to her clients in the areas of:

• Wills
• Wills creating testamentary trusts
• Enduring powers of attorney
• Corporate powers of attorney
• Advanced health directives
• Deceased estate administration