It may be helpful to discuss the following points when meeting with a solicitor about your Will:

Have you adequately provided for close relatives and dependents?

Failure to adequately provide for those people for whom you should provide may mean that your Will can be challenged. Your solicitor will be able to advise you on this issue.

Do you need to appoint a Guardian for any dependents?

If you have dependent children, consider whether a Guardian needs to be appointed for their care, and who the best person for this might be.

Do you have property that will automatically pass to a partner?

If you hold property in common or jointly, you may wish to bring this to the attention of your solicitor.

How can I make my gift tax-effective?

Talk to your Solicitor about ways you can structure your Will so that more of your Estate can be directed towards supporting the charities of your choice, rather than being eaten up by taxes. Charities like Heart Research Australia which have DGR (Deductible Gift Recipient) status do not have to pay Capital Gains Tax. This has important implications if you are thinking, for example, of gifting a portion of your shares. That’s because shares that are transferred directly (which is known as an in-specie transfer) to a charity with DGR status are not subject to Capital Gains Tax.

Do you hold property in trust for someone else?

Ask your solicitor whether special provision needs to be made in your Will for this.