Estate Planning Department

About Us

Page Seager has a dedicated Estate Planning Department under the supervision of partner David Shelley.

Bridget Rheinberger is a legal practitioner in the Department who comes from a background of specialist Estate Planning and Estate Litigation.

Angela Ebini is the Department's probate clerk.

David Barclay is the Department's in house Counsel with a strong Estate Litigation background.

Christine Suckling is the Department's personal assistant.

Our Approach

Our aim is to provide a complete estate service at the highest level and to be accessible and approachable to our clients.

Estate Planning

Our staff recognise the complexity of modern life and provide services based on a specialised knowledge of all aspects of modern estate planning. Our clients have peace of mind knowing that our experience will provide the methods for all assets to be passed to the intended beneficiaries, including those that will pass outside of your estate, in the best and most tax effective way.

We have a commitment to continuing legal education that ensures we provide our clients with advice that is relevant to current legislative changes especially in the areas of superannuation and tax.

Our estate planning services include:

• Simple complementary wills between spouses
• Life estate wills
• Mutual wills
• Testamentary discretionary trust wills
• Asset protection advice for high net worth clients
• Advice on adequate provision for vulnerable or disabled beneficiaries
• Minimising the risk of disputes on your death
• Tax minimisation strategies
• Superannuation advice
• Powers of attorney
• Instruments appointing enduring guardians
• Company and business structures
• Discretionary family trust deeds

When developing an estate plan it is important that we liaise with your financial planner and accountant. If our clients request, we are able to offer an introduction to Page Seager Financial Planning Pty Ltd who offer specialist financial planning advice and services.

Probate

We have a depth of experience in estate administration and probate, letters of administration and assisting clients with intestacy. Our knowledge provides security in an established firm who you can rely on to assist your Executors to administer your estate appropriately providing guidance and advice. Our firm is also able to offer an Executor service where our legal fees are appropriate and are determined by the simplicity or complexity of the estate not by the value of the estate assets.

Our services include:

• Probate applications
• Letters of administration applications
• Estate administration
• Dealing with intestacy
• Advice to executors
• Advice to beneficiaries
• Executorship

Estate Disputes

We have a strong working knowledge of all aspects of estate litigation. Our staff have acted in a broad range of disputes including:

• Family provision actions in the Supreme Court of Tasmania under the Testators Family Maintenance Act 1912 (Tas)
• Disputes over the validity of wills
• Applications for removal of executors
• Assistance to superannuation beneficiaries

Guardianship and Administration Act 1995

Closely linked to our estate dispute experience is our work with clients in areas covered by the Guardianship and Administration Act 1995.

Our services and experience include:

• Advice on the Act generally
• Assistance with applications and representation of clients at hearings of the Guardianship Board for revocation of power of attorney
• Assistance for clients seeking guardianship and administration orders.

Our Clients

• Private clients, individuals, couples, partnerships and families
• Corporate clients requiring advice on payment of death benefits to estates
• Interstate legal firms with clients who require proceedings in the Supreme Court of Tasmania

For general enquires contact Page Seager on (03) 62355187