Estate planning is essential as it allows you to control distribution of your assets after your death. Without a will, your assets may be allocated in a manner that doesn't reflect your wishes. The best way to ensure that your wishes are followed is to maintain up-to-date will that outlines your final intentions with advice from an experienced succession lawyer to help avoid what may otherwise be unforeseen legal pitfalls.

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Planning for your future doesn't just mean your will. Do you have certainty about who would make personal and/or financial decisions for you if you were unable to make those decisions yourself? If not, you need to consider or review appointment of a trusted person with enduring power of attorney. This legally appoints one or more people to make decisions if necessary, and can avoid conflict or decisions being made by someone you don't want making decisions for you. Advance health directives provide clarity and certainty for your loved ones and health providers about important health decisions you have made.

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Estate administration comes with numerous pitfalls for the inexperienced executor or administrator, and lets face it, most of us will only be asked to do this once or twice in our lifetime. Do you know what important dates apply to the administration of a deceased estate that can expose the executor or administrator to possible personal liability if those dates and their effect are not observed and understood? Does the estate need to file a tax return? If you're not sure, you should consider obtaining advice about this and the many other aspects of administering a deceased estate the costs, time and stress can be minimised with the assistance of an experienced estates lawyer, or a potential time, money and stress nightmare if its done incorrectly.