Wills

It can be very important to draw up a Will. Your Will is your chance to decide who is (and who is not) entitled to receive your property when you die, and what property each person will receive. These are very important decisions that should not be left to somebody else.

The persons who receive property under a Will are known as beneficiaries. You may nominate any person or organisation to be a beneficiary under your Will, and you may choose the proportion of your property or the particular items of property that each beneficiary is to receive, and the ages at which they will receive it.

The person or persons who are in charge of distributing the property left in a Will are known as executors. These people may also act as trustees in relation to any property that is left to children. The duty to ensure that your final wishes are complied with is an important responsibility and may involve important decisions. You should give careful consideration to your choice of person or persons to perform this role.

Your Will may also contain other important instructions such as who is to act as guardian of your children and what is to be done with your body after death.

If you require a relatively simple and straightforward Will to be drawn up, Monash-Oakleigh Legal Service may be able to help you. If your Will involves complex matters, we can refer you to a private solicitor. Please note that as we are a free Community Legal Service with limited resources, it is our policy to prepare Wills only for pensioners.

Please give careful consideration to the instructions you would like to include in your Will, and make an appointment once you have decided.

To make it easier for us to help you draft your Will, please print out and complete our Wills Checklist and bring it with you to your appointment.

You may also find some helpful materials on our Forms & Downloads and Useful Links pages.