Prepare for a will in Australia

Choose the right local process

Moneysmart explains wills, executors and powers of attorney and points readers towards professional help. Use that overview to prepare, then check the requirements for your own state or territory.

Selecting Australia in Pactlio leaves the state or territory choice with you. A public page or available questionnaire is not a promise that AI generation has been enabled for your location.

Give superannuation its own review

Moneysmart identifies superannuation as a planning issue to consider alongside your will. Check your fund arrangements and any death-benefit nomination rather than assuming a sentence in your will controls every account.

Record questions for your fund or professional adviser separately from the gifts you want to make through the will. The questionnaire should not be used to guess ownership or the effect of a nomination.

Prepare a practical handoff

List your proposed executor and an alternative, describe assets and liabilities at a useful level, and note any overseas property, dependants or business interests.

After review and the appropriate signing process, make the original findable. A completion plan is useful for recording who has been informed and what remains unfinished; it is not an executor service or certification of validity.

• Confirm that proposed helpers are willing to take on the role.
• Discuss complex family or ongoing-care arrangements locally.
• Keep powers of attorney and medical decision documents distinct.
• Revisit the plan when your circumstances change.