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“Contrary intention” in succession law and will-making

Image: Coat of Arms, Broken Hill Courthouse, NSW, by B Stead.

Broken Hill Courthouse - Coat of Arms, early Australian courthouses, Australian legal history, Australian Colonial courthouses,Many provisions in state and territory legislation on succession and wills allow for a willmaker to express a contrary intention in their will to override the statutory rule. Where a provision of succession legislation contains these words, it means that the statutory rule can be displaced, that is not apply in the administration of their estate, if a willmaker has expressed a different intention on the matter in their will as to what they want to have happen.

 

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Meaning of stepchild when contesting a will

storm clouds for stepchild, family provision, testator's family maintenance,

 

A stepchild’s eligibility under the statutory rules for seeking provision from a step-parent’s deceased estate can be difficult.

In a Victorian case1 the executor of a deceased estate applied to the Supreme Court to have a claim for family provision dismissed.

The claim was brought by the adult daughter of the deceased’s former domestic partner, who had died some years before. She had been left out of his will, despite assurances and promises to the contrary. The deceased had left everything to his new domestic partner.

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Personal possessions – interpreting their meaning and entitlements

personal items, chattels, personal chattels, deceased estate, personal possessions, will making,

personal items, belongings or effects and similar expressions are often used by willmakers to leave instructions on what they want done with such things after they die.  Those responsible with this are the people the willmaker has personally appointed and named in their will to represent them, their personal representatives or legal personal representatives. 

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Signing the wrong will by mistake

mistakenly wrong will, signing a will, mirror wills, reciprocal wills, mistake, error, will-making Finding a mistake or error in the will of the deceased can cause extra difficulties in sorting it out.  Many couples wish to leave their estates to each other when they die, and then to their children.  They usually nominate the same people to act as their executors and trustees, typically each other,  and one or more of their children may be appointed as substitutes.

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Rectify a mistake discovered in the will after death

Entry pillars, palm tree lined pathway to the Rockhampton Courthouse, Queensland

Sometimes a clerical error or some other aspect about a deceased’s will means that practically speaking what the deceased intended doesn’t work out. Fortunately all is not lost. Succession legislation provisions give the Court a power to rectify the will to give effect to the deceased’s intentions if the Court is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the will does not. An application to the Court for a rectification order must be made within twelve months in NSW. An extension of time may be possible in special circumstances and if the estate has not been distributed. For an application to succeed there must be clear and convincing proof.

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Renouncing or resigning probate: when an executor resigns

renouncing probate, right of probate, right to renounce, renouncing executorship, executor, Renouncing probate of a deceased estate is when a named executor in the will does not wish to take on the role. It is not compulsory. To resign you complete a form provided by the Probate Court in your state or registry, links in this article. These are free to download. Complete the form, sign in front of a witness where required, date it and lodge at the Probate Court Registry. There may be a small fee to lodge the form, contact the Probate Registry. If you want to resign do it as soon as practical.

There is no requirement that an executor must accept the executorship role, even if it was agreed to do so. But relinquishing executorship should be done as soon as practical if you don’t wish to act and have not dealt with the estate, (intermeddle). You can resign your appointment as executor by renouncing your right to probate of the deceased’s will, that is you renounce probate.

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Nieces and nephews – leaving them an inheritance by your will

 

Nieces and nephews in wills, nieces and nephews, whole blood, half blood, ancestors, common ancestor Who our ‘nieces and nephews’ are, if we have them, may seem so obvious as to not need mentioning, after all it is all in the family and identifying them should not be a problem.

 

Leaving a gift to be divided among “nieces and nephews” by will then, should be a simple matter. Not always, as circumstances and relationships may change from the time a will is made to the date of death.

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Why make a will and what can a will do?

why make a will, make a will, making a will, dying without a will, intestateWhy make a will and what can it do? Dying without leaving a will, or leaving an invalid one, is to die intestate. Dying intestate means property left by the deceased, their estate, is distributed according to the intestacy law. The intestacy law has been prescribed by legislation as the ‘default’ rules to apply in these circumstances. The problem is that the intestacy formula for distribution may not produce the desired outcome.

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