Create a clear and comprehensive estate plan in Newcastle, Maitland, Lake Macquarie, Sydney or the Central Coast.
Your life’s hard-earned assets are precious. If you pass away without a proper Estate plan, their transfer could cause undue stress, financial strain for your loved ones, or inheritance ending up in the wrong hands.
With milestones like marriage, divorce, or business purchases all impacting how you wish to leave your legacy, it’s important to engage a trusted estate planning lawyer today.
Harnessing decades of experience, our partners, Warwick Gilbertson and Rani Gandha, and their team have dealt with all types of asset structures to help clients build, secure, and preserve their assets.
Whether you’re running a business or balancing a blended family, we can design a strong legal framework for your estate plan. Let’s protect your assets from unnecessary taxes, business risks, and family disputes, ensuring they’re preserved for the future.
Estate planning is so much more than detailing how you wish to distribute certain assets to certain people – it’s about securing your family’s financial future on your terms.
This interdisciplinary field demands experience across multiple legal disciplines, including taxation matters, state revenue and stamp duty issues, superannuation laws and administration, trust law, wills and estates law, elder law, asset protection and bankruptcy laws, and family law.
Specialising in all aspects of intergenerational wealth transfer, our estate planning lawyers create comprehensive strategies for clients at every stage of life – from young families to retirees who have sold their businesses.
We also take into account evolving legal and economic tactics, as well as continually changing tax and superannuation laws, to make the most of your estate plan at all times.
Together, we can protect your assets now and for generations to come.
Will preparation
A professionally drafted will is the cornerstone of a strong estate plan, detailing how you wish your assets to be distributed after your death. Beyond appointing an executor and beneficiaries, your will can include provisions for guardianship, funeral instructions, and the creation of trusts to address specific needs.
Our experienced lawyers ensure your will is legally valid, considers potential claims, and includes the contingencies necessary to carry out your intentions seamlessly.
Testamentary trusts
A testamentary trust is established by a will, only coming into existence after the death of the willmaker. In this legal structure, the trustee owns and manages assets on behalf of beneficiaries. It is a powerful tool to safeguard assets after death, offering tax benefits, flexibility for investments, and protection from legal risks.
Our estate planning lawyers help ensure trust provisions are followed, the intentions of the trust creator are honoured, and relationships among beneficiaries remain intact. Whether discretionary or restrictive, we provide invaluable legal advice on establishing and administering trusts to maximise their benefits and security for future generations.
Protective trusts
Protecting vulnerable beneficiaries requires thoughtful planning and tailored solutions. By including a protective trust in your will, you can safeguard assets for beneficiaries with disabilities, addictions, or other vulnerabilities, ensuring their needs are met without compromising their financial security.
We work closely with you to create a trust that balances care with control, providing peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
Business succession planning
A clear succession plan will help your business transition smoothly when you leave, whether due to retirement, illness, or unforeseen events. That’s why this strategy should be created as soon as possible.
Our estate planning lawyers work with you to draft shareholder agreements, structure your business for continuity, and address tax and legal considerations.
With tailored solutions, we help minimise risks and ensure your business legacy is preserved for the next generation, offering guidance with sensitivity to both financial and family dynamics.
Probate
Probate is the legal process of distributing assets after death, which can be both complex and emotionally taxing. The good news is that a comprehensive estate plan can simplify this process, providing the necessary information to facilitate application and administration.
Our experienced estate planning lawyers can also assist executors and beneficiaries in navigating this complicated process, ensuring all legal and administrative requirements are met. Receive clear guidance and support that lessens the burden during this difficult time.
Estate disputes
Contested wills can cause significant stress and conflict among families, even with a comprehensive estate plan in place.
Our lawyers have extensive experience in managing disputes, representing both executors and claimants to resolve disagreements over deceased estates. We can work to protect assets from legal claims and champion your rights, providing practical support to achieve fair outcomes.
Lack of capacity documents
With a power of attorney, you can appoint someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf if you’re no longer able to do so. Our estate planning lawyers will help you create this critical document, as well as enduring guardian appointments and advanced healthcare directives.
Working closely with you while you still have capacity, we can ensure your personal, financial, and medical decisions are handled by the right person when you need it most.
Superannuation
Superannuation is often a significant part of your estate, requiring careful planning to align with your broader estate goals.
We provide professional legal advice on superannuation death benefit nominations, self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs), and compliance to ensure your super is distributed as intended. From establishing funds to minimising disputes, our guidance helps you structure your pension efficiently.
Your local Trust and Estate Practitioner
Warwick Gilbertson is a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP), a specialist designation given to him by STEP – the worldwide professional association for those advising families across generations.
To become a TEP, practitioners must have a combination of specialist qualifications and experience, including significant involvement with planning, creation, management of and accounting for trusts and estates, executorship administration and related taxes.
Warwick is one of only a handful of TEPs in the wider Hunter region and the only TEP available to advise families in Lake Macquarie.
Estate planning with Turnbull Hill Lawyers
55+ years experience
We’ve been helping clients protect their legacies since 1969. Our team specialises in managing complexities like family businesses, SMSFs, financial arrangements, and special needs considerations. Discover smart solutions that maximise benefits, including tax savings and asset protection strategies.
Proactive solutions
Prepare for the future today. We understand the urgency that estate planning often demands, ensuring your affairs are in order on time. From proactive wealth protection to estate dispute prevention, we anticipate issues and safeguard your interests from the start.
Personalised legal advice
Every Estate is different, which is why we tailor our advice to your unique circumstances. Whether your assets are simple or complex, our estate planning lawyers can provide personalised legal support. This considered approach supports confidence and clarity at every turn.
Practical guidance
We simplify the entire estate planning process by ensuring you fully understand your assets, rights, and responsibilities. Equipped with our clear communication and actionable advice, you can make informed decisions that benefit your beneficiaries.
Trusted estate planning team
Thousands of clients have relied on our estate planning lawyers in Newcastle, Maitland, Lake Macquarie, Sydney and the Central Coast. Chosen for our meticulous approach and proven outcomes, we’ll work with you to ensure certainty and security, whatever the future brings.
Value for money
Our estate planning services offer complete cost transparency, eliminating surprises from the outset. We take the time to understand your needs and provide a tailored proposal that fits your situation. With no hidden fees, you can be confident in your costs throughout.
Plan ahead with dependable legal support
Rest assured knowing your assets will be administered as intended, whatever life throws your way. Our estate planning lawyers in Newcastle, Maitland and Sydney can provide the guidance needed to get your affairs in order with confidence.
What our clients say
They looked after me quite well I was quite pleased with their service.
Patrick Huolohan assisted in updating my estate planning with what was a very quick, simple and efficient process. Patrick was both professional and easy-going which ensured an anxiety-free experience. A modest investment to get the job done right and provide the family with certainty.
Over the last 3 years we were thrust into complex situations which required us to rely on your Wills and Estates team’s professional services. Your thorough and measured approach and communication assisted us to avoid the many cliffs we could have faced.
Dear Warwick,
Well, I certainly had the right man for the job!! Thank you so much for your vast knowledge, guidance and support during the last couple of years while dealing with Dad's estate.
Dear Tina,
You amaze me! You are such a professional and I really, really appreciate that we were able to work together on Dad's estate. Thank you so much for everything you did (and all the little extras too).
Our estate planning lawyers in Newcastle, Maitland and Sydney
Get started in 3 simple steps
If you need support with estate planning in NSW, get in touch with our experienced lawyers. We are always here to help.
Call our friendly team on 1800 994 279 or contact us today.
Call our friendly team on 1800 994 279 or contact us today.
Tell us your story
Your wills lawyer will listen carefully to your needs so that we can empower you with invaluable legal advice.
Receive the right support
Gain reliable assistance at every stage of this legal process, whichever approach best suits your financial circumstances.
Frequently asked questions
An estate plan is a detailed strategy that outlines how your assets will be managed, protected, and distributed throughout key life events, including retirement, incapacity, or death.
It involves legal documents such as wills, enduring powers of attorney, and trust arrangements that dictate how you wish to be cared for if you become unable to make decisions and how your assets will be handled during and after your lifetime.
The primary purpose of an estate plan is to ensure your wealth and assets are managed according to your wishes and protected against unforeseen circumstances.
In many cases, a simple will isn’t enough to manage complex asset structures like family trusts, private companies, property investments, life insurance or superannuation funds.
An estate plan provides a legal framework to transfer these assets efficiently and in a tax-effective manner while ensuring they are protected during your lifetime. It can prevent legal complications, reduce the risk of family disputes, and ensure your estate is passed to the intended beneficiaries.
It’s never too early to start estate planning, especially during significant life changes. Events like purchasing a property, getting married or divorced, starting a business, having children, or creating a family trust or SMSF are key milestones to either establish or review your plan.
Proactive planning ensures your estate accurately reflects your current circumstances and future goals.
Family relationships, particularly in blended families or those with unique circumstances, can complicate estate distribution.
A tailored estate plan takes these dynamics into account, reducing the risk of claims and ensuring your wishes are respected. This personalised approach can safeguard against potential disputes and ensure fair outcomes for all parties.
The cost of an estate plan depends on the complexity of your situation. Factors like owning a business, having multiple marriages, or requiring specific arrangements can influence pricing.
At Turnbull Hill Lawyers, we can provide you with a tailored legal cost estimate after your consultation. Get started on your legal matter in just minutes online.
Warwick Gilbertson is a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP), a specialist designation given to him by STEP. Click these links to find out more:
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