Trust Services News
Josh Wood
Published
Anytime is a good time to make a Will and ensure your family’s future is secure.
Have you ever considered what might happen should you pass away without having made a Will? Given more than 52% of Australians over 18 (according to a 2024 finder.com.au survey) don’t currently have a Will the realities of such a scenario are all too common.
The term ‘Intestate’ can be defined as “when a person dies without a valid Will, or has a Will which does not distribute the estate in its entirety.” In this scenario there is legislation that deals with the distribution of your Estate which may or may not be in line with your values, beliefs or desires.
A common misconception in this regard is that if you die without a Will then the ‘government will get all of your stuff.’ Whilst this is a potential outcome, the laws of intestacy would only allow this if you had no living relative.
Regardless, the importance of having a Will cannot be understated and the ministry of the Trust Services Department assists church members (and those otherwise associated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church) in this Endeavour.
Throughout 2024 Trust Services has been working not only to produce Wills for our clients but also ensuring that the records we do hold are as accurate and up to date as possible. This is no easy feat and requires countless hours of work both with clients, their families and our supervising Solicitor. To assist with the delivery of this ministry in as timely a manner as possible, and to extend it more readily to our membership outside the greater-Melbourne region we also implemented an online booking system for an online appointment.
If you are uncertain of the need to have a Will, or whether your Will as prepared by Trust Services some years ago is even up to date, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Head to the Conference website or contact Josh Wood on (03) 9264 7777 or email JoshWood@adventist.org.au
