Your Will is your voice after you pass away.

It helps protect the people you care about, makes things easier for your loved ones and ensures your wishes are followed. As life changes, your Will should too.

Around half of Tasmanians don’t have a valid Will. Even if you already have one, changes in your life may mean it no longer reflects your wishes or current circumstances.

Wills Week is the perfect time to stop putting it off, review your plans and take the next step.

Start with these three simple steps

1. Know what you need

Good estate planning is about more than having a Will.

Our free Planning Ahead Guide explains the important documents you should consider, including:

• a Will
• an Enduring Power of Attorney
• an Enduring Guardianship
• an Advance Care Directive
  

Download the Planning Ahead Guide and find out what you need to plan for your future.

2. Get your important information together

Would your family know where to find the information they need if something happened to you?

Our Personal Record Book helps you keep important information about your finances, accounts, contacts, assets and other personal matters in one place.

It doesn’t replace your legal documents, but it can make things much easier for the people you trust to help you.

3. Make or update your Will

This is where your plans become reality. A Will helps ensure the people you care about are looked after and gives you peace of mind that your wishes are clear.

A Will allows you to decide who will receive your estate and who you trust to carry out your wishes.

If you die without a valid Will, you die “intestate”. In Tasmania, the law determines how your estate is distributed. This may not be what you wanted.

Don’t put it off. Make an appointment to prepare or update your Will today.

Do you already have a Will?

Having a Will is important, but it’s also important to keep it up to date.

As your life changes, your Will should change too. Reviewing your Will regularly helps make sure it still reflects your wishes and your current circumstances.

Some life changes can affect who receives your estate or who you want to make decisions on your behalf.

It may be time to review your Will if you have:

• bought or sold a major asset, especially one mentioned in your Will
• married, divorced or entered into a significant relationship
• welcomed a child, grandchild or stepchild into your family
• had a child who has married, divorced, separated or entered into a significant relationship
• gained stepchildren through changes in your family
• retired
• lost your spouse or partner
• had a beneficiary pass away or become unable to manage their own affairs
• decided to change who will benefit from your estate
• changed your name
• Even without a major life event, it’s a good idea to review your Will regularly to
• make sure it still reflects your wishes.
  

Why have a Will?

A Will is one of the most important things you can do for the people you care about.

It allows you to decide:

• who will receive your estate
• who will manage your affairs after you die
• how your wishes will be carried out

Without a valid Will, the law decides how your estate is distributed. This may not reflect what you wanted and can create additional stress, delays and costs for your loved ones

Preparing your Will with the Public Trustee

The Public Trustee can help you prepare or update your Will.

A standard Will and Enduring Power of Attorney costs:

• $140 for a single person
• $210 for a couple
  

Eligible Seniors Card and Australian Government Pensioner Concession Card holders may be able to prepare a standard Will and Enduring Power of Attorney free of charge when the Public Trustee is appointed as executor and/or attorney. Eligibility and conditions apply.

Don’t leave it for another year

You might have been meaning to make or update your Will for years.

Wills Week is the perfect reminder to take action.

A few simple steps today can provide peace of mind for you and make things easier for the people you care about tomorrow.

Prefer to use your own solicitor?