We are the first super fund in Australia with a dedicated legal team that offers an estate planning service for our members. Our experts not only specialise in creating legal documents such as wills, power of attorney and medical/health care directives, but they’re used to working closely with members just like you.

You can choose the estate planning legal services you want, and our fees are fixed, so you know exactly how much everything will cost. 

We understand that no one wants to think about losing capacity or dying. But we also believe that estate planning is too important to put in the ‘too hard’ basket. That’s where we can help, by guiding you along the way.

We must be getting it right, because many of our members are surprised that the estate planning process is not as time-consuming, expensive or as difficult as they initially thought.

Step 1: Our first estate planning meeting

We will meet with you face-to-face, via video link or over the phone, to confirm your personal, family and financial situation, review any estate planning documents you may already have and discuss your wishes. We’ll then advise which documents are appropriate for your needs and explain our fees. This meeting usually takes an hour. If you have any special requirements, it may be necessary to meet again to discuss these.

Our video meetings allow multiple parties to join from various locations, so discussing and agreeing on important issues is convenient and easy for all involved.
 

A summary of the estate planning process is:

  1. Arrange a meeting
  2. Confirm personal, family, financial situation
  3. Review any existing estate planning documents 
  4. Prepare estate planning documents reflecting your wishes for approval 
  5. Sign and witness new estate planning documents 
  6. Store estate planning documents safely

Fee for our first estate planning meeting

The fee for our first meeting is fixed at $330*.

If after our first meeting you do not wish to proceed and ask us to prepare any documents, then that is okay and the most you will pay for our services is $330*.

Step 2: Preparing your estate planning documents

If you want to go ahead, we will prepare your estate planning documents and send them to you for review and approval. We will then make any minor amendments, if needed, and send you the final version(s), together with signing and witnessing instructions.

“This is brilliant! Thank you for taking the time to listen so carefully and produce an excellent representation of my wishes. I have really appreciated your personalised approach.”

Natalie, D., Kingsford, NSW

How much does it cost to get a will and other estate planning documents prepared?

The total fee to prepare your legal documents will depend on your wishes and the legal documents you would like us to prepare for you.

For example, our fee to prepare:

  • Preparation of a will (simple) only, for a single person, is $600* plus the $330* for our initial meeting fee which equals $930*.
  • Preparation of a will (simple) only, for a couple is $660* plus the $330* for our initial meeting fee which equals $990*.
  • Power of attorney – Single (standalone) is $550* plus the $330* for our initial meeting fee which equals $880*.
  • Power of attorney – Couple (standalone) is $660* plus the $330* for our initial meeting fee which equals $990*.
  • Guardianship or Health Directive – Single ( standalone) is $550* plus the $330* for our initial meeting fee which equals $880*.
  • Guardianship or Health Directive – Couple (standalone) is $660* plus the $330* for our initial meeting fee which equals $990*.
  • Single Package (simple) includes Will, power of attorney, Guardianship/health care directive is $1,700* for a single person, inclusive of the initial meeting fee
  • Couple Package (simple) includes Will, power of attorney, Guardianship/health care directive is $1,980* for a couple inclusive of the initial meeting fee
  • Single Package (complex) includes a complex Will, power of attorney, Guardianship/health care directive is $2,600* for a single person inclusive of the initial meeting fee
  • Couple Package (complex) includes a complex Will, power of attorney, Guardianship/health care directive is $3,320* for a couple inclusive of the initial meeting fee

Before you commit to preparing any estate planning documents with us, we will provide you with a fixed-fee quote, outlining exactly what you have agreed to and what it will cost.

Step 3: Signing your estate planning documents

Once you are happy and approve of your draft legal documents, then the next step is for you to decide how you would like to go about signing and witnessing your documents.

You can either sign your documents and have them witnessed yourself, or we can witness them. If needed, we can arrange a face-to-face meeting to assess your capacity to sign and witness the documents. If you arrange signing and witnessing, we can ensure this has been done correctly. 

Fee for signing and witnessing estate planning documents

If you would like us to sign and witness your documents, the fee is $300*. This fee includes the signing and witnessing of all your documents by you, your attorney(s) and guardian(s).

*All fees include GST.

Step 4: Storing your estate planning documents

You can arrange to store your legal documents yourself in a safe place, such as a safety deposit box at the bank, your own personal safe or in a will safe with a state or territory government-based storage facility.

As great as it is to have these legal documents, they are of no use or benefit if they can’t be found if something happens to you. At the very least, it’s a good idea to let the people close to you know where your original documents are kept. At the most, you may wish to give these people a copy of your legal documents for their own records.

“This has been a wonderful service and we are grateful for our lawyer’s involvement and remain overwhelmed by her diligence and generosity of support.”

-       Ilzea, M., Aware Super member, June 2019

 

 

Let us help you feel more future ready

Our estate planning service is designed to be a friendly, convenient and affordable way for our members to look forward with confidence, knowing they’ve made the right decisions now for the future.

If you’d like our expert team to guide you through this important process, make an appointment with one of our estate planning lawyers.