Szabo & Associates News & Updates

A family dispute over the estate of Neville Wran, the former NSW premier, appears to have reached a partial resolution, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

An interesting case from the UK has provided a clear demonstration of how important it is to update your Will to reflect any changes in your personal circumstances, such as getting married, divorced or having children.

It is generally accepted that legal tools, such as an Enduring Power of Attorney, are generally hoped to be able to help people in their daily lives. However, like so many things, there is a possibility that an otherwise benign legal document can be used to inflict a great deal of harm on vulnerable members of society. As reported in a recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald (available here), an inquiry by the Royal Commission into the issue of elder abuse in Australia has highlighted how Powers of Attorney can be abused by unscrupulous individuals. 

Parents are becoming increasingly likely to leave unequal inheritances to their children, particularly where the family includes stepchildren, a recent study from the United States has found.

There have been calls for Australia to follow the example of other OECD countries such as the UK and the USA and introduce a system of inheritance tax, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.