There are no death duties in Australia, but superannuation left to adult children is taxed - and most families only find out when the cheque arrives. Here's how the tax works, what it costs, and the four things you can do about it while you're alive and well.
Most families that fall out after a death aren't really fighting about money — they're arguing about what the will seemed to say about them. Here's how the rules on challenging a will work around Australia, and the five decisions that cause most of the trouble.
An enduring power of attorney is the only document that lets someone you trust manage your money and your care if you ever can't — and you can only sign one while you're still well enough not to need it. Here's how it works, what changes state to state, and what happens to your family if you don't have one.
Superannuation sits outside your estate, so your will has no say over it — the trustee of your fund decides, unless you've filled in the right form. Here's how binding, non-binding and reversionary nominations differ, who you're allowed to name, and the tax that catches adult children out.
Dying without a will does not mean your money disappears — it means a formula written into state law decides who gets it, and that formula knows nothing about your family. Here is what really happens, and why your super may not be covered by your will at all.
