Only 1/3 of Australians Planning for their death - Death and Real Estate

Only one third of Australians planning for their death

Two-thirds of Australian adults do not have a valid Will, opening the door to a long-winded, expensive legal battle for their surviving relatives. Dying without a Will, or with a poorly written Will, may lead to unwanted people getting a share of your estate.

Only 35% of Australian adults have a valid Will. Death is a touchy subject; who likes to think about leaving their loved ones behind? But the absence of a Will puts further stress on your already devastated family members. Anyone who has had to deal with an invalid or missing Will is likely to have their own carefully written Will, to prevent putting such strain on those that outlive them in the future. 

Peter Taliangis, experienced Real Estate Agent of Professionals Fremantle, has seen the troubles families have had to face. “A bad Will or no Will can cost your family and your loved ones a long and protracted dispute over your house and other property. I have seen horrible situations that have dragged on for years and are still not resolved. That isn’t a burden you want to leave your family.”

Adult children are the most common claimants in contesting a Will, with 63% of claims by children of the deceased. Most cases are driven by exclusion or disparity in distribution. And these cases have a high success rate, with 77% of claims being successful. So the bottom line is, get your Will done properly, because no matter how you word it, if it is unfair, those affected do their best to get their share. People’s true colours show when money is involved.

Even in the case of a straightforward, unchallenged Will you need to allow two months for Probate, and twelve months for the administration of the estate. Add in a dispute and you are looking at years. By creating a valid, legal Will, you will save your family members a lot of time and money in the aftermath of your death.

Writing a final testament is often cast into the “too hard” basket, but the process does not have to be difficult. Peter Taliangis and Catherine Hopkin, of Cariad Legal, have combined their expertise to provide you with all the information you need when it comes to dealing with a Will, in their Death and Real Estate: 101 Questions Answered.

“People often come to me after having talked about doing their Wills for years but always having put it off. When they finally come to me, they are invariably pleasantly surprised at how smooth and easy the process is. Their sense of relief and accomplishment felt after having finalised their documents is clear. Knowing that you’ve ‘ticked that box’ is a great feeling,” Catherine explains.

Peter Taliangis is a licensed real estate agent operating in Perth WA, selling and managing millions of dollars’ worth of property. He has seen the ins and outs of death and real estate, and knows that unclear instructions and bad drafting of a Will can cause years of heartache and damage to property value.

Catherine Hopkin started her legal career at a top tier law firm in Perth CBD. After being admitted to the Supreme Court, Catherine gained experience in the areas of contract law and mining law. Catherine soon chose to specialise in an area that would allow her to work one-on-one with individuals, helping them with an important aspect of the law which affects us all.

Peter and Catherine have combined their expertise to not only share their thoughts, but also make the Will-making process far less daunting than it usually is.

Peter Taliangis

(08) 9330 5277 or 0431 417 345

peter@professionalsfremantle.com.au