What Is a Gift Deed in Australia? A Guide to Using Gift Deeds in Estate Planning
A Gift Deed is a formal legal document used to record a significant financial gift made during your lifetime. While a bank transfer may complete the gift, a properly drafted deed provides clarity, protects your intentions, and reduces the risk of future disputes. In estate planning, Gift Deeds can help document large transfers, support cross-border transactions, and strengthen your overall succession strategy by clearly confirming that the gift was voluntary, unconditional and not part of your estate.
Does Separation or Divorce Cancel a Will?
Many people assume separation or divorce automatically updates their will. In Victoria, that assumption can be costly. Divorce changes how certain parts of a will operate, but separation has no legal effect at all. This means an estranged spouse may still inherit or control an estate unless steps are taken. Understanding how the law works is essential to avoiding unintended outcomes.