Package includes:

On Demand Module  l  Electronic booklet  l  PowerPoint Presentation

Package Fee (incl GST)

  • $149 - Law Society members and Associate members
  • $195 - Non-members

Note: Access to the online files is via your "My CPD" page. If you would like to purchase multiple packages, please contact us here.

On Demand Module

Presentation time: 90 minutes
1.5
CPD HRS

Upon a client’s death, issues centred around their will and estate administration can deeply compound an already stressful situation for all involved. This module will help you make sense of the changing landscape in this complex area. Our speakers will provide practical insights for practitioners who carry out this work day to day and address interesting developments in the more complex and niche estate issues that the courts have been grappling with.

Topics covered will include:

  • Common pitfalls in the drafting of wills and administration of estates
  • Key case law developments
  • The interaction between trust law and the administration of estates.

Learning objectives

By completing this module you will obtain:

  • More aware of common issues in wills and estate administration.
  • Updated on recent case law.

Electronic paper 

Authors: Kim James, James Pullar
Published: 14 August 2024
Pages: 19

Introduction

Wills are widely undervalued by the public and legal profession. Many people consider a will to be a simple document. As a result, instructions for wills are routinely completed swiftly from basic template precedents and are charged for accordingly. Some law firms choose to prepare wills for clients free of charge. However, there are an array of ways in which bad drafting and lack of consideration as to the consequences of the arrangements being documented can cause complicated (and costly) issues upon the death of the will maker.

In this context, will makers often have a family trust to consider, in addition to the assets in their personal name. Careful attention needs to be paid to the nexus between the terms of the trust deed and the terms of the will. In addition, the more general interplay with trust law often informs how issues arising in estate administration may be resolved.

Likewise, the legislative and equitable foundations for claims against estates must be borne in mind when preparing a will as they can have significant ramifications on the administration of an estate.

Increasingly, we are dealing with complicated blended families and the dynamics that come into play there. There are more and more matters for drafters of wills to take into account, but the documents continue to be under-valued by clients and lawyers alike.

PowerPoint Presentation

These are the slides included in the presentation.

JAMES Kim PULLAR James  
Kim James
Taylor Shaw
Christchurch
James Pullar
Taylor Shaw
Christchurch
 

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